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In the doldrums

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An idiomatic phrase describing depression, stagnation, or listless inactivity; maritime-windlessness metaphor used in poetry to convey emotional stillness, creative paralysis, or becalmed spirit through nautical-atmospheric imagery emphasizing motionless despair.

Detailed Definition
In the doldrums means in a state of stagnation, low spirits, inactivity, or depression. The phrase comes from nautical regions of calm where sailing ships could be stranded without wind. In poetry, it can describe emotional flatness, creative block, economic decline, or a life becalmed after hope has faded. Its maritime origin gives stillness a troubling force: the danger is not storm but motionlessness. Poets can use it to explore melancholy, waiting, and the hunger for renewed movement.
Example
Example in poetry:
A sea poem might place the ship in the doldrums, sails hanging like tired wings; In a modern lyric, the speaker is in the doldrums after weeks of grey weather; The phrase in the doldrums means low in spirits or stuck without progress; A poet can draw on its nautical origins for atmosphere.
Additional Notes
In the doldrums refers to low spirits, stagnation, or lack of progress. The original nautical sense describes calm equatorial regions where sailing ships could be trapped without wind. In poetry, it can powerfully join mood and motion: sadness becomes becalmed weather. It suits depression, creative block, social stagnation, and economic decline. Students should notice the absence of wind as a metaphor for lost energy or direction.
Also Known As
Down in the dumps
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