Meaning
To "feel blue" is to feel sad or low, usually without a big dramatic reason. It's the mood of a gray Sunday, the week after a vacation ends, or a birthday far from home. English has tied blue to sadness for centuries, and blues music takes its name from the same idea.
The phrase is gentle. It says "I'm down" without asking for alarm, which is why people often soften it further: "a little blue", "a bit blue". You can say it to friends, family and friendly coworkers. It is not the word for serious, lasting depression; for that, people talk plainly about how long it has lasted and whether they've seen someone about it.
You'll hear "feeling blue" and "I've been a little blue lately" more than the bare "I feel blue". It sounds slightly old-fashioned to some younger speakers, who might say "I'm kind of down" instead, but everyone understands it.
In a conversation
- Grace
- Omar
- Grace
- Omar
- Grace
- Omar
Say it out loud
Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.
Check yourself
Practice · 3 min
Listen, then repeat. Say it quietly and a little slower, the way you would when you're really feeling it.
Say it today
Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.