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

Other Word Forms

• despondently adverb
• predespondent adjective
• quasi-despondent adjective
• quasi-despondently adverb
• undespondent adjective
• undespondently adverb
• despondency noun
• despondence noun

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

Synonym Study

See hopeless.

Example Sentences

“I feel despondent about the City Council’s lack of interest in keeping places like this going and highlighting them as spots to be looked after and cared for.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In this case, it’s a subplot about despondent self-deporting animals who resolve to flee Oz because their home has become hostile to their kind: “We can’t stay here. It’s become rotten,” says a bear.

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Hope is a commodity in short supply for the town’s despondent and fearful residents.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It was never going to be a quick fix, as she admitted after the game while cutting a despondent figure in her media duties.

Read more on BBC

Ms Musvava, dressed in a bright orange winter jumper and a white hat, appeared despondent.

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Related Words

• dejected 
• discouraged 
• disheartened 
• forlorn 
• glum 
• morose 
• sad