Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense despairs, present participle despairing, past tense, past participle despaired
1. uncountable noun [oft inNOUN]
Despair is the feeling that everything is wrong and that nothing will improve.
I looked at my wife in despair.
...feelings of despair or inadequacy.
2. verb
If you despair, you feel that everything is wrong and that nothing will improve.
'Oh, I despair sometimes,' he says in mock sorrow. [VERB]
He does despair at much of the press criticism. [VERB + at]
Synonyms: lose hope, give up, be discouraged, be pessimistic More Synonyms of despair
3. verb
If you despair of something, you feel that there is no hope that it will happen or improve. If you despair of someone, you feel that there is no hope that they will improve.
He wished to earn a living through writing but despaired of doing so. [VERB + of]
...efforts to find homes for people despairing of ever having a roof over their heads. [Vof -ing/n]
There are signs that many voters have already despaired of politicians. [Vof -ing/n]
More Synonyms of despair
despair in British English
(dɪˈspɛə)
verb
1. (intransitive; often foll byof)
to lose or give up hope
I despair of his coming
2. (transitive) obsolete
to give up hope of; lose hope in
noun
3.
total loss of hope
4.
a person or thing that causes hopelessness or for which there is no hope
Word origin
C14: from Old French despoir hopelessness, from desperer to despair, from Latin dēspērāre, from de- + spērāre to hope
despair in American English
(dɪˈspɛr)
verb intransitive
1.
to lose hope; be without hope
usually with of
verb transitive
2. Archaic
to give up hope of
noun
3.
loss of hope
4.
a person or thing causing despair
Word origin
ME despeiren < OFr desperer < L desperare, to be without hope < de-, without + sperare, to hope < spes, hope < IE base *spēi, to prosper, expand: see speed
Examples of 'despair' in a sentence
despair
The despair and anger felt by the people who were misled has to be understood.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Sometimes the despair can be sudden and overwhelming.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It's a tough challenge in the face of so much despair but may perhaps be enough.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
THE constant sound of aircraft taking off and landing would drive most people to despair.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
My wife and I were in utter despair.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The thought of her being with somebody else makes me feel in despair.
The Sun (2014)
This adds a resignation that contrasts with the despair of many of his earlier poems.
The Times Literary Supplement (2013)
Some cards include cruel jokes about people suffering despair.
The Sun (2011)
Particularly as he sometimes despaired of my energy and strong will.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The feelings of hopelessness and despair were exactly the same.
The Sun (2010)
Others spoke of moments of utter despair they still felt and of their permanent loss of security.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Some time after it became despair and anger.
The Sun (2015)
When the food was bad he slumped towards existential despair.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
That feeling of despair has a number of outlets.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
There was unity and alienation and sweetness and savagery and hope and despair.
The Sun (2009)
She is feeling despair and needs to be well so that she no longer feels so depressed.
Christianity Today (2000)
The squalid conditions in the shack settlements drive many to despair.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Her story of dedication and love became a story of despair and utter hopelessness.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Maybe it is just some existential despair we all carry with us.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Young people in the urban jungle live in terror of other young people and in despair of protection from adults.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
There's so much drama there and so much despair.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
This despair was almost total.
Zindell, David The Broken God (1993)
Add to that a wife who wants to divorce him and you have a man in total despair and a plot with more twists than a tornado.
The Sun (2007)
The goats that grazed these trees began to lose their teeth and many died of starvation, much to the despair of their owners.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
All they can see about them is starvation, hunger, loss and despair.
Radford, Tim & Leggett, Jeremy The Crisis of Life on Earth - our legacy from the second millenium (1990)
Despite a successful career his drinking increased and, in despair after his wife threw him out, he connected himself to a drip designed to kill.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In other languages
despair
British English: despair /dɪˈspɛə/ NOUN
Despair is the feeling that everything is wrong and that nothing will improve.
I looked at my wife in despair.
American English: despair
Arabic: يَأْس
Brazilian Portuguese: desespero
Chinese: 绝望
Croatian: očaj
Czech: beznaděj
Danish: fortvivlelse
Dutch: wanhoop
European Spanish: desesperación
Finnish: epätoivo
French: désespoir
German: Verzweiflung
Greek: απελπισία
Italian: disperazione
Japanese: 絶望
Korean: 절망
Norwegian: fortvilelse
Polish: rozpacz
European Portuguese: desespero
Romanian: disperare
Russian: отчаяние
Latin American Spanish: desesperación
Swedish: förtvivlan
Thai: ความสิ้นหวัง
Turkish: umutsuzluk
Ukrainian: відчай
Vietnamese: sự tuyệt vọng
British English: despair VERB
If you despair, you feel that everything is wrong and that nothing will improve.
Oh, I despair sometimes', he says in mock sorrow.
American English: despair
Brazilian Portuguese: desesperar-se
Chinese: 绝望
European Spanish: desesperar
French: être désespéré
German: verzweifeln
Italian: disperare
Japanese: 絶望する
Korean: 절망하다
European Portuguese: desesperar-se
Latin American Spanish: desesperar
Chinese translation of 'despair'
despair
(dɪsˈpɛəʳ)
n(u)
绝(絕)望 (juéwàng)
vi
绝(絕)望 (juéwàng)
in despair绝(絕)望地 (juéwàng de)
to despair of doing sth丧(喪)失做某事的信心 (sàngshī zuò mǒushì de xìnxīn)
to despair at sb/sth对(對)某人/某事绝(絕)望 (duì mǒurén/mǒushì juéwàng)
(verb)
Definition
to lose or give up hope
He despairs at much of the press criticism.
Synonyms
lose hope
give up
After a few attempts he gave up.
be discouraged
be pessimistic
lose heart
He appealed to his countrymen not to lose heart.
be despondent
be dejected
be demoralized
resign yourself
look on the black side
1 (noun)
Definition
total loss of hope
She shook her head in despair at the futility of it all.
Synonyms
despondency
There's a mood of gloom and despondency in the country.
depression
I slid into a depression and found it hard to go to work.
misery
All that money brought nothing but misery.
gloom
the deepening gloom over the economy
desperation
this feeling of desperation and helplessness
anguish
melancholy
We watched the process with an air of melancholy.
hopelessness
dejection
There was a slight air of dejection about her.
wretchedness
disheartenment
2 (noun)
Synonyms
hardship
Many people are suffering economic hardship.
cross
Being labelled a cheat is a cross I have to bear.
trial
the trials of adolescence
pain
Her eyes were filled with pain.
burden
Having more responsibility at work felt like a burden to him.
ordeal
the painful ordeal of identifying the body
tribulation
the trials and tribulations of everyday life
Additional synonyms
in the sense of burden
Definition
something that is difficult to bear
Having more responsibility at work felt like a burden to him.