dejection

/dɪˈdʒɛkʃən/

//dɪˈdʒɛkʃən// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"dejection" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dejection” is uncommon English (frequency #79,441 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#79,441
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A state of melancholy or depression; low spirits, the blues.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dejection · dejection · English

dejection · rank #79,441 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #79,441
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH dehumanize

Nearest frequency peer: dehumanize (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “dejection”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “dejection” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for dejection
PropertyValue
Headworddejection
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪˈdʒɛkʃən/
Letters9
Frequency rank#79,441
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “dejection” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).dejectionfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “dehumanize” (#79,440), “delt” (#79,443), “deez” (#79,438). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dejection” is #79,441. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

dejection is uncommon English at frequency #79,441 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /dɪˈdʒɛkʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

dejection doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French dejection, from Latin dejectio (“a casting down”). The correct English form is dejection, spelled D-E-J-E-C-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A state of melancholy or depression; low spirits, the blues.
  2. 2
    The act of humbling or abasing oneself.
  3. 3
    A low condition; weakness; inability.
  4. 4
    Defecation or feces.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how dejection appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Adoration implies submission and dejection, so that while we worship we cast down ourselves; there must be therefore some great eminence in the object worshipped, or else we should dishonor our own nature in the worship of it.
  2. Meat remaining in the stomach undigested, dejection of appetite, wind coming upwards, are signs of a phlegmatick constitution.

Etymology

From Old French dejection, from Latin dejectio (“a casting down”).

This word in other languages

abatimiento(Español)abattement(Français)dejeção(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "dejection"?
"dejection" is spelled D-E-J-E-C-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈdʒɛkʃən/.
What does "dejection" mean?
As a noun, "dejection" means: A state of melancholy or depression; low spirits, the blues.
How do you pronounce "dejection"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dejection" is /dɪˈdʒɛkʃən/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "dejection"?
From Old French dejection, from Latin dejectio (“a casting down”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "dejection", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

demystify#79,446denialism#79,447crosswind#79,425colonizer#79,398

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list