Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for despondent

despondent

[ dih-spon-duhnt ]

adjective

  1. feeling or showing profound hopelessness, dejection, discouragement, or gloom:

    despondent about failing health.

    Synonyms: blue, melancholy, downhearted

    Antonyms: hopeful, happy



despondent

/ dɪˈspɒndənt /

adjective

  1. downcast or disheartened; lacking hope or courage; dejected


Discover More

Derived Forms

  • deˈspondence, noun
  • deˈspondency, noun
  • deˈspondently, adverb

Discover More

Other Words From

  • de·spondent·ly adverb
  • prede·spondent adjective
  • quasi-de·spondent adjective
  • quasi-de·spondent·ly adverb
  • unde·spondent adjective
  • unde·spondent·ly adverb

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of despondent1

First recorded in 1690–1700; from Latin dēspondent-, stem of dēspondēns “giving up,” present participle of dēspondēre “to give up, lose heart, promise”; despond

Discover More

Synonym Study

Discover More

Example Sentences

His campaign was ready to sue over “anything suspicious,” and “a lot of things have been suspicious so far,” but he wouldn't let his voters get despondent.

The church “was my haven,” Archbishop Bean recalled in a 1992 interview with the Los Angeles Times, but the pastor “didn’t have an answer” and left him feeling despondent.

I spoke with Bailey last month, when he was still in Jamaica, and he was despondent, watching his former world in Virginia move along without him.

They left the Arctic with a message of encouragement to the world not to feel despondent about climate change but to take action.

From Time

With over 80 million people—more than twice the size of Canada’s population—my birth place and where I grew up well into my teenage years has one of the youngest and most educated, yet disillusioned and despondent societies in the region.

From Time

It is all too easy to be despondent in the face of what seems like the endless capacity of evil to reinvent itself.

Many were despondent or even suicidal when they first arrived.

Despondent, she choked back sobs when she saw other women with babies.

But I was still despondent, desperate to salvage every positive experience from a relationship that had run its course.

Despondent at first, Tanny gradually reached a level of acceptance.

Her tone was despondent, her face was drawn and blanched, and her eyes gave evidence of weeping.

So inert, despondent, and lethargic a moment before, he now seemed full to overflowing of life and animation.

"Oh, Mr. Meadows, that is too far for the naked eye to see," was the despondent reply.

He would have been despondent, but his soldier's training had taught him that no situation is hopeless as long as life lasts.

The poor boy grew morose and despondent, giving way at times to spells of the deepest depression.

Advertisement

Word of the Day

axolotl

[ak-suh-lot-l ]

Meaning and examples

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


despondencydespot