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.
“I refuse to live in hopelessness and trauma,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026
These can include hopelessness, difficulty thinking clearly, or anhedonia -- the inability to feel pleasure and loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities.
From Science Daily • May 4, 2026
"I really don't think we're ever gonna see anything. So it's transferred from that obsession to like a hopelessness."
From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026
"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 edges of their hopelessness dissolved, just a little.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
