Feel blue — Meaning, Definition & Examples

Definition

To feel sad, unhappy, or depressed

Context Alive

It’s been raining for five days straight. You’re sitting by the window, staring at the grey sky, and your flatmate asks what’s wrong. “I don’t know,” you say. “I’ve just been feeling blue lately.” Nothing terrible has happened—you’re just a bit sad and can’t quite explain why.

Meanings

1 meaning

1 To Feel Sad or Depressed (Idiom) — COMMON Common ▼

This meaning is about experiencing general sadness or low mood. Imagine someone sitting alone after their best friend moves to another country, feeling blue because they miss having that person around. This is feeling blue. You might feel blue on a rainy Sunday afternoon, or someone could feel blue around the holidays when they’re far from family. Or picture a teenager who’s been feeling blue since breaking up with their first girlfriend. The phrase suggests a gentle, temporary sadness rather than serious depression.

Vivid Example

After her children left for university, Margaret found herself feeling blue most evenings, wandering through the quiet house and missing the noise and chaos of family life.

Examples from the Street

“I’ve been feeling blue all week — I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

I’ve been feeling sad/down all week — I can’t figure out why I’m so low

“She’s feeling a bit blue after her boyfriend left.”

She’s feeling somewhat sad/down since her partner moved out

“Rainy days always make me feel blue.”

Wet, grey weather always puts me in a sad/melancholy mood

Common Patterns

feel blue → feel sad or melancholy

feel a bit/little blue → feel somewhat sad (softened)

be feeling blue → be in a sad state currently

feeling blue about [something] → sad because of something specific

make someone feel blue → cause someone to feel sad

be/look blue → appear or be sad

a blue mood → a sad, melancholy state of mind

blue Monday → a depressing start to the week

the blues → a feeling of sadness or depression

Collocations

2 collocations

feeling blue today

being sad or down

no reason to feel blue

no cause for sadness

Example Sentences

12 examples

1

I always feel blue around the anniversary of my grandmother’s death

I’m always in a sad mood around the date my gran passed away.

2

She’s been feeling a bit blue since she moved to the new city — she misses her friends

She’s been somewhat down since relocating — she longs for the people she left behind.

3

Don’t worry about me — I’m just feeling blue today. I’ll be fine tomorrow

Don’t be concerned about me — I’m just a bit down at the moment. I’ll bounce back by morning.

4

Winter always makes me feel blue — I need sunshine to be happy

The cold months always put me in a low mood — I require bright weather to feel cheerful.

5

He looked a bit blue at the party — I think something’s bothering him

He seemed somewhat down at the gathering — I reckon something’s on his mind.

6

I woke up in a blue mood and couldn’t shake it all day

I got out of bed feeling low and wasn’t able to get rid of the sadness for hours.

7

Why are you feeling so blue? Did something happen?

Why are you so down? Did something go wrong?

8

That song always makes me feel blue — it reminds me of my ex

That track always puts me in a melancholy mood — it brings back memories of my former partner.

9

I’ve got the blues today — nothing seems to cheer me up

I’m in a gloomy state right now — nothing appears to lift my spirits.

10

She’s been feeling blue about not getting the promotion she wanted

She’s been down in the dumps because she didn’t get the job advancement she was hoping for.

Learner Examples

★

Some students feel blue when they don’t see progress in their English — it’s important to remind them how far they’ve come

Certain learners get down when they can’t notice improvement in their language skills — it’s essential to point out all the advances they’ve made.

★

I used to feel blue every time I made a mistake in class, but now I see errors as part of learning

I used to get sad whenever I got something wrong during lessons, but these days I view slip-ups as a natural part of the process.

Phrasal Verbs & Idioms

3 items

Phrasal Verbs

feel down — be sad or depressed

Everyone feels down sometimes — it's perfectly normal.

feel up to — have enough energy for something

I don't feel up to going out tonight.

Idioms & Expressions

out of the blue — unexpectedly, without warning

She called me out of the blue after ten years.

Synonyms & Antonyms

7 items

Synonyms

feel sad

experiencing sadness

feel down

being in a low mood

feel depressed

being very unhappy

feel low

lacking energy and happiness

Antonyms

feel great

being in a wonderful mood

feel on top of the world

feeling extremely happy

feel cheerful

being happy and positive