What it means
Feeling blue means feeling sad, low, or not quite yourself. It’s a super common English idiom for those days when your mood’s gone a bit grey and your usual spark isn’t really showing up. It normally sounds softer and more everyday than saying someone’s depressed.
Usage examples
"I’ve been feeling blue since the meeting, so I’m skiving off and making a cuppa. Fancy a chat and a biscuit, or what?"
"She has been feeling blue since her best friend moved away, the flat feels far too quiet now."
"If you are feeling blue, come round for a cup of tea, sometimes a bit of company is all it takes."
"I'm not up for the pub tonight, mate, just feeling a bit blue and need a quiet one."
"He gets a bit blue around this time of year, so we usually drag him out for chips and a walk."
Where it comes from
This idiom is old and well established in English. Blue got tied to sadness centuries ago, helped along by older phrases like blue devils for gloomy or troubled spirits. By the 18th and 19th centuries, feeling blue was already being used in the familiar melancholy sense it still has now.
