hopelessness
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of hopelessness
First recorded in 1805–10; hopeless ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )
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.
"It just feels bizarre, and I find so many of us don't really know how to feel right now, besides rage and hopelessness," she said.
From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026
The song, from Harrison’s first solo album after the Beatles’ breakup, urges the listener not to be swallowed by “the hopelessness around you in the dead of night.”
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025
Jeremias, a nurse, said she sympathized with Mangione’s feeling of hopelessness.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025
Mr Sullivan said despite moments of near hopelessness, he was always supported by his parents who died years before he could clear his name.
From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025
There are no miracles here, the parrot had said—but neither is there hopelessness, no matter what the serpent wants me to believe.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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.
