PADS

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Initialism of post-Avatar depression syndrome (“a feeling of depression brought upon by watching the 2009 epic science fiction film Avatar or its sequels, as a result of not being able to experience the movie's world in real life”).

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

News reports have appeared recently speaking of people who see Avatar and subsequently fall into a deep depression at their inability to access a world in reality as beautiful, entrancing and spiritual as Pandora, the mythical planet depicted in the film. But before you join a Post Avatar Depression

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “PADS” mean?

Initialism of post-Avatar depression syndrome (“a feeling of depression brought upon by watching the 2009 epic science fiction film Avatar or its sequels, as a result of not being able to experience the movie's world in real life”).

Is “PADS” formal or informal?

PADS is generally slang.