despair

[dih-spair]

noun

1. loss of hope; hopelessness.

   Synonyms: disheartenment, gloom
   Antonyms: hope

2. someone or something that causes hopelessness.

   He is the despair of his mother.

verb (used without object)

1. to lose, give up, or be without hope (often followed byof ).

   to despair of humanity.

verb (used with object)

1. Obsolete.,  to give up hope of.

despair

/ dɪˈspɛə /

verb

1. to lose or give up hope

   I despair of his coming

2. obsolete,  (tr) to give up hope of; lose hope in

noun

1. total loss of hope

2. a person or thing that causes hopelessness or for which there is no hope

Other Word Forms

• despairer noun
• self-despair noun
• undespaired adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of despair¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English despeir (noun), despeiren (verb), from Anglo-French despeir, Old French despoir (noun), desperer (verb), from Latin dēspērāre “to be without hope,” from dē- de- + spērāre “to hope” (derivative of spēs “hope”)

Word History and Origins

Origin of despair¹

C14: from Old French despoir hopelessness, from desperer to despair, from Latin dēspērāre, from _de- + spērāre to hope

Synonym Study

Despair, desperation, despondency, discouragement, hopelessness refer to a state of mind caused by circumstances that seem too much to cope with. Despair suggests total loss of hope, which may be passive or may drive one to furious efforts, even if at random: in the depths of despair; courage born of despair. Desperation is usually an active state, the abandonment of hope impelling to a furious struggle against adverse circumstances, with utter disregard of consequences: an act of desperation when everything else had failed. Despondency is a state of deep gloom and disheartenment: a spell of despondency. Discouragement is a loss of courage, hope, and ambition because of obstacles, frustrations, etc.: His optimism yielded to discouragement. Hopelessness is a loss of hope so complete as to result in a more or less permanent state of passive despair: a state of hopelessness and apathy.

Example Sentences

Two years on, the split is sharper than ever between Hamas loyalists who still defend the movement to the core, and a war-weary majority of Gazans who have lost patience with endless destruction and despair.

From BBC

But this is not a call to despair, or to embrace the comfort of learned helplessness or to take poison of hopium.

From Salon

In his leader's speech, Polanski said: "If Reform can rocket through the polls with a politics of despair, then it's time for the Green Party to do the same thing with a politics of hope."

From BBC

But that also isn’t reason to despair: in cities across America, whatever their faults, majorities have assembled multiracial coalitions based on tolerance and mutual respect.

From Salon

As the elder berates her child for being a “bad bad girl,” the reader will hear the echoes of her own mother’s chastisements, a song of intergenerational despair.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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

When To Use

What does despair mean?

To despair is to lose all hope. Despair can also be used as a noun meaning complete hopelessness.Despair usually involves deep sadness and emotional pain about something that has happened or that hasn’t happened—something usually triggers the despair. This is especially the case in serious and very negative situations that involve finality, such as death or a devastating loss in a political election.The verb despair implies that one is giving up—that they believe there is nothing more to be done to make things better. When someone says, “Don’t despair,” they’re telling you not to lose hope—to keep trying or to believe that things can improve.When used as a verb, despair is sometimes followed by the word of and the thing for which hope has been lost, as in I have despaired of her ever coming back. Much less commonly, despair can be used as a noun referring to someone or something that causes despair, as in He is the despair of the nation. The word despairing can be used as an adjective to describe people who are experiencing despair or things that involve despair, as in a despairing look. Example: He was filled with despair at the sight of the scoreboard, which showed an insurmountable lead with only minutes left.