Downcycles

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A decline or reduction in economic activity occurring in cycles
2. The process of experiencing downturns in performance or productivity at regular intervals
3. A phase of contraction in business or market conditions that recurs over time

Etymology: "Downcycles" is the plural of "downcycle," which is itself a blend: "down" combined with "recycle." The "recycle" half is the familiar term for reprocessing used materials, and in this blend it was pulled into the sense of a cycle that falls rather than one that renews itself. The two parts do different jobs. "Down" supplies the sense of decline in performance or productivity, while "cycle," meaning a recurring pattern of rising and falling, supplies the regular, repeating quality the definition describes. Read together, the word names a period of slump that keeps coming back on a predictable schedule, rather than a single bad stretch.

Synonyms: recessions, declines, downturns, slumps, falls

Antonyms: upturns, recoveries, growths, booms, rises