Idiom idiom
W-shaped recession
Meaning
An economic downturn where key indicators such as GDP and employment plummet sharply, briefly rebound, dip again, and then recover fully, forming a W pattern on a chart.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“The economy is currently experiencing a W-shaped recession.”
“Analysts worry that the recent market recovery is temporary and that we are actually entering a W-shaped recession.”
“While some economists predicted a swift recovery, the volatile data suggests a W-shaped recession, characterized by a secondary decline after the initial rebound.”
Anchors to
Last updated August 10, 2026