despondent

American  

[dih-spon-duhnt] / dɪˈspɒn dənt /

adjective

1. feeling or showing profound hopelessness, dejection, discouragement, or gloom.

   despondent about failing health.

   Synonyms:

   blue, melancholy, downhearted

   Antonyms:

   hopeful, happy

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despondent British  

/ dɪˈspɒndənt /

adjective

1. downcast or disheartened; lacking hope or courage; dejected

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Related Words

See hopeless.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of despondent

First recorded in 1690–1700; from Latin dēspondent-, stem of dēspondēns “giving up,” present participle of dēspondēre “to give up, lose heart, promise”; despond

Example Sentences

Increasingly despondent, he organised a park walk on social media.

From BBC

“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.”

From 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.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From 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.

From BBC

Related Words

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