despond

American  

[dih-spond, des-pond] / dɪˈspɒnd, ˈdɛs pɒnd /

verb (used without object)

1. to be depressed by loss of hope, confidence, or courage.

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noun

1. despondency.

despond British  

verb

1. (intr) to lose heart or hope; become disheartened; despair

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noun

1. archaic lack of hope; despondency

Other Word Forms

• desponder noun
• despondingly adverb
• undesponding adjective
• undespondingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of despond

1670–80; < Latin dēspondēre to give up, lose heart, promise, equivalent to dē- de- + spondēre to promise

Explanation

To despond is to become very downhearted or gloomy. You could say that you tend to despond whenever you think about the end of summer. As a verb, despond is an old-fashioned word that you'll probably only see in books. It's much more common to hear the related words despondent and despondence. Still, if you don't mind sounding a little outdated, you can urge your little brother not to despond over his glass of spilled milk. The Latin root is despondere, "to give up, lose, lose heart, or resign."

Example Sentences

Lawrence started building “Phantasma Gloria” around the turn of the millennium, when he was “languishing in the sea of despond for the unmet yearning to create something new and beautiful in the world.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2023

“The Unfolding” suggests no solutions to this plight, but it offers irresistible reflection on how the audacity of hope got pushed off the rails and fell into the slough of despond.

From Washington Post • Sep. 13, 2022

Anything less, and it’s a descent into the slough of despond.

From The Guardian • Feb. 26, 2022

The Salt Lake City Games in 2002 nearly drowned in a despond of corruption; the Pyeongchang Games in February chewed up forests and pushed out villagers.

From New York Times • Nov. 12, 2018

I knew right then I was in the sloop of despond.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver