despondency
Americannoun
Synonym Usage
See despair.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of despondency
Explanation
Despondency is a sad emotional state — much like depression. If you're in a state of despondency, you're feeling hopeless and super bummed out. Despondency is one of many emotional states that are not pleasant — it's a kind of extreme sadness. Stubbing your toe wouldn't trigger despondency, but the death of a family member or friend might. When people lose their jobs or experience failure, despondency can happen — they feel despondent. Despondency can include not only sadness, but feelings of hopelessness. It's a terrible way to feel, and it's not easy to get over it.
Vocabulary lists containing despondency
A Wrinkle in Time
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The Gene
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Bill Parcells' Hall of Fame Induction Speech
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As Europe faces a host of economic challenges, an excessive despondency about its current condition may be one of the more pernicious.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
There's a lot of despondency in Scottish Labour, and perhaps that shouldn't be too surprising.
From BBC ● May 10, 2026
Arsenal's joy in Italy contrasted with despondency in Norway for Premier League heavyweights Man City.
From Barron's ● Jan. 20, 2026
Certainly, hope is an important psychological motivator for many people, and relying solely on doom-and-gloom messaging could push some people into despondency.
From Salon ● Dec. 1, 2024
She could infect a whole house with gaiety and she used her gift as a weapon against the despondency that lurked always around outside the house waiting to get in at Tom.
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
