hopelessness

[hohp-lis-nis]

noun

1. the feeling or condition of having no hope; despair; desperation.

   Among the worst demons of addiction is hopelessness.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hopelessness¹

First recorded in 1805–10; hopeless ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

I was living in Atlanta after Hurricane Katrina, and lot of people got displaced there, and they were depressed; there was a sense of hopelessness and not knowing where to go next.

From Los Angeles Times

“As you will understand watching my Bella struggle in silence, has cut the deepest core of hopelessness inside me,” the elder Hadid said on Instagram.

From Los Angeles Times

A democratic system that many see as broken, and a hopelessness about where things are headed.

From Los Angeles Times

At the end of most conversations, whether with officials, climate experts, or the frontline victims of these extreme weather events, there is a certain hopelessness.

From BBC

"We have graduates from every level... not having jobs. There's a serious state of hopelessness amongst the youth," he says.

From BBC

Related Words

• anguish 
• desperation 
• despondency 
• discouragement 
• gloom 
• melancholy 
• misery 
• sorrow