au désespoirn.
/əʊ ˌdeɪzɛsˈpwɑː/ In despair.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > expectation > despair, hopelessness > [adjective]
ormodeOE
ortroweOE
aerwenec1275
wanlessa1300
desesperatc1384
despairedc1400
wanhopelyc1425
lornc1475
desperate1483
wanhope1549
hopelost1570
despairfula1586
forlorn1603
despairinga1616
hopelessa1616
unhopinga1628
lost1709
au désespoir1766
unanticipative1847
unhopeful1850
1766 C. Anstey New Bath Guide i. vi. 9 My Spirits flag, my Life and Fire Is mortify'd au Desespoir.
1768 L. Sterne Sentimental Journey I. 142 Monsieur his master was au desespoire for her re-establishment from the fatigues of her journey.
1801 Wynne Diaries 6 Sept. (1940) III. iii. 62 Mrs. Otway has been a widow ten days... She does not seem au desespoir.
1859 A. Trollope Bertrams II. v. 109 Some time since she was giving advice that it should be broken off, and now she was au désespoir because that result had been reached.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1972; most recently modified version published online December 2019).
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n.1766