be down in the dumps

To be visibly sad or depressed. Molly's been moping around all week, and I have no idea why she's so down in the dumps. Rob has been down in the dumps ever since Gloria broke up with him. He's been down in the dumps ever since he found out he didn't get the job.

See also: down, dumps

brain dump

1. The act of writing down all of one's current thoughts or necessary tasks, as to help one become more organized. Whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed, a brain dump really helps me to sort out my thoughts and see all of the things I need to do. A: "What is this jumbled list of things?" B: "Oh, that's from my brain dump earlier. Those are all the things I have left to do before I leave for vacation." If you're feeling scattered, you might want to do a brain dump and then map out all the things you have left to do before your thesis defense.

2. The act of communicating a large amount of information all at once or in a short span. Sorry for the brain dump—I just have a lot on my mind. The boss has no patience for meandering brain dumps like that, so make a list of the most important things you have to tell him and stick to it. I really don't think that a brain dump full of jargon is the way to convey this information to your audience.

down in the dumps

Sad or depressed. Molly's been moping around all week, and I have no idea why she's so down in the dumps. Rob has been down in the dumps ever since Gloria broke up with him. He's been down in the dumps ever since he found out he didn't get the job.

See also: down, dumps

dump

1. noun, slang Any building that is or looks very run-down or decrepit. Why they decided to move their office into a dump like this is beyond me. I know this place is a dump, but it's all we could afford. The price is right, sure, but do you know how much money we'd have to pour into a dump like this to make it livable?

2. noun, slang Any building or room, especially a residential one, that is extremely untidy and unclean. This room is a dump, Bradley! You're not going anywhere until you've cleaned it! Their apartment was so nice when they first moved in, but they've let it turn into a real dump over the years. It's a frat house—of course it's gonna be a dump. Lower your expectations!

3. noun, rude slang An act or instance of defecation. Be right back, I've got to go take a dump. A: "You were in the bathroom a long time. What, were you taking a dump?" B: "Shut up, Josh! Don't be gross." If your stomach hurts, maybe you just need to take a dump.

4. verb, slang To end a relationship (with someone), especially a romantic one. I can't believe Jeremy dumped me! I thought we were soulmates! We used to hang out all the time, but then she just sort of dumped me as a friend after high school. Well, Holly dumped me, so I'm not surprised she's already moved on to someone else.

dump a/(one's) load

1. slang To defecate. I wouldn't mind the neighbor's dog getting into my yard if it didn't always dump a load on my lawn! Be right back, I've got to go dump my load. A: "You were in the bathroom a long time. What, were you dumping a load?" B: "Shut up, Josh! Don't be gross."

2. slang To vomit. When I had the flu, I spent most of the time dumping my load and couldn't eat for days. Oh man, I felt like I was going to dump a load out on that boat—I was so seasick! A: "The rookie saw blood for the first time and dumped his load right there at the crime scene." B: "Geez, he's gonna need a stronger stomach for this line of work."

dump on (someone or something)

1. To snow on someone or something. Ugh, another storm system is expected to dump on us this weekend. Remember the Blizzard of '96? Man, that really dumped on the East Coast. Of course Mother Nature is going to dump on us again tomorrow, right after I've broken my snow shovel!

2. To inform someone of one's problems or woes. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "dump" and "on." I'm sorry I just dumped it on you like that, but I had to tell someone about my mom's illness. There's always some awful thing happening in Helen's life. I wonder what she'll dump on us this time. Come on, you're not supposed to dump your problems on your kids like that. That's, like, Parenting 101.

3. To unexpectedly and unreasonably delegate something to someone. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "dump" and "on." Can you believe the boss dumped all this work on me the day before my vacation? Management dumped the entire project on me after Lydia resigned. I hate to dump this on you at the last minute, but we need three dozen cupcakes by tomorrow.

4. To dispose of something somewhere. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "dump" and "on." You can't just dump all your old furniture on the sidewalk and expect the trash men to take it. Thanks so much for dumping all of your junk on my side of the room. No, don't get excited, the desk is in terrible shape. They're just trying to dump it on us!

5. To criticize someone harshly and undeservedly, often due to frustration. I know you're stressed about the wedding, but can you please stop dumping on me? I didn't intentionally bring the wrong box of place cards! If she's just going to dump on my ideas like that, then I don't see any reason to participate any longer. If you're mad at your husband, don't dump on me—take it up with him!

dump out

1. To empty the contents of some container by pouring them quickly and roughly out. A noun or pronoun can be used between "dump" and "out." The object of the verb can refer to either the container or its contents. She dumped her purse out on the counter as she frantically tried to find her keys. Now, don't just dump out those ball bearings, or they'll scatter everywhere. If only the kids liked to put the blocks away as much as they love to dump them out.

2. To force someone to exit a car or other vehicle very abruptly. A noun or pronoun can be used between "dump" and "out." She dumped me out in front of my house and drove off without a word. A: "I can't believe you just dumped me off there and made me walk home!" B: "With the way you were insulting my wife? I wish I could have made you walk further!" Is there any chance the kidnapper dumps out his victims unharmed?

3. To throw something away. A noun or pronoun can be used between "dump" and "out." Can we please dump these old leftovers out? They're starting to smell. It's time to dump out this collection of dead batteries you've amassed here. I have to just accept that these old clothes will never fit me again and dump them out.

4. To discard something completely, especially very abruptly. A noun or pronoun can be used between "dump" and "out." We had to dump out nearly half the script because it just wasn't coming together the right way. Please tell me you didn't dump out all that footage from yesterday because I came up with a way to salvage it. Yeah, I dumped out those pictures—they were blurry!

info dump

The act of communicating a large amount of information all at once or in a short span, especially in a creative work. The info dump at the beginning of the second chapter is really unnecessary and just slows the whole story down. Sorry for the info dump—there's just so much to catch you up on! It's a series, so each book after the first has an info dump covering the most important things from the previous installment.

toxic waste dump

A person, place, or thing that is extremely repugnant, hateful, or extremely socially unacceptable. How that toxic waste dump ever got promoted to general manager is beyond me. This social media platform has turned into a toxic waste dump over the past few years.

down in the dumps

Also, down in the mouth. Discouraged, depressed, or sad, as in She's been down in the dumps ever since she lost the match, or What's wrong with him? He's so down in the mouth about everything. The noun dumps has been used for "a state of depression" since the early 1500s, and down in the mouth, alluding to the downturned corners of the mouth as a sign of misery, dates from the mid-1600s.

See also: down, dumps

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

down in the dumps

in the dumps

1. If you are down in the dumps or in the dumps, you feel depressed. Try to be sources of support for each other when one of you is feeling down in the dumps. I was in the dumps when I met Jayne. I was clearly not living the kind of life I should live.

2. If a business or economy is in the dumps or down in the dumps, it is doing badly. California's economy is unlikely to stay in the dumps for more than two years.

See also: down, dumps

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

down in the dumps

(of a person) depressed or unhappy. informal

In early 16th-century English dump had the meaning ‘a fit of depression’, a sense now surviving only in this expression.

See also: down, dumps

down in the ˈdumps

(informal) depressed; miserable: I’ve been feeling a bit down in the dumps since I lost my job. OPPOSITE: on top of the world

See also: down, dumps

dump

1. tv. & in. to empty one’s stomach; to vomit. She turned green, and I knew she was going to dump.

2. in. to defecate. (see also dump one’s load.) He dumped and then came back.

3. n. an act of defecation. (Usually objectionable.) He had a dump and then came back.

4. n. a low or cheap establishment; a joint. My mama didn’t raise me to spend the rest of my days in a run-down dump like this.

toxic waste dump

n. a horrible person or place. Frank, stop acting like a toxic waste dump and do as you’re asked.

down in the dumps, to be

To be sad or dispirited. The “dumps” referred to are not the modern rubbish heap but a heavy, oppressive mental haze or dullness (from the Dutch words domp and German dumpf). The expression was used several times by Shakespeare (Titus Andronicus 1.1; The Taming of the Shrew 2.1; Much Ado about Nothing 2.3) and was well known as “in the dumps” until the eighteenth century. See also down in the mouth.