taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle
gloomy; melancholy; pessimistic
Describes a person's mood or atmosphere as heavy, depressed, and lacking hope. Often used with ～とした or ～としている to describe a state.
彼は最近うつうつとした表情をしている。
He has been looking gloomy lately.
雨の日が続
When rainy days continue, I start to feel melancholy.
Rare variant using the simplified character 欝.
Rare variant using the simplified character 欝 in repeated form.
憂鬱 is a more common and clinical term for depression or melancholy, often used as a noun or na-adjective. うつうつ is more literary and emphasizes a lingering gloomy state.
陰気 describes a gloomy or somber atmosphere or personality, often with a nuance of darkness or lack of cheer. うつうつ focuses more on internal melancholy.
The word is a reduplication of 鬱 (うつ), meaning 'depression' or 'gloom'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it likely emerged as an emphatic or adverbial form in literary Japanese.