despondent
adjective
de·spon·dent di-ˈspän-dənt 
: feeling or showing extreme discouragement, dejection, or depression
despondent about his health
despondently adverb
Synonyms
- despairing
- desperate
- forlorn
- hopeless
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
His colleagues did not care for his despondent company, which made him suffer more, which perpetuated their distance … 
Noah Charney, The Art Thief, 2007 The Simpsons' plots are a bit more sophisticated than their Saturday morning counterparts and are occasionally tinged with pathos—as when Homer loses his job at the nuclear-power plant and becomes despondent and even suicidal. Jerry Lazar, TV Guide, 13 Jan. 1990 Writers who spend much time in universities are likely to grow despondent over the future of literature, for there it is treated as a finished thing. Louis Simpson, New York Times Book Review, 21 Nov. 1982 I had never seen them looking so despondent. a group of despondent fans
Noah Charney, The Art Thief, 2007 The Simpsons' plots are a bit more sophisticated than their Saturday morning counterparts and are occasionally tinged with pathos—as when Homer loses his job at the nuclear-power plant and becomes despondent and even suicidal. Jerry Lazar, TV Guide, 13 Jan. 1990 Writers who spend much time in universities are likely to grow despondent over the future of literature, for there it is treated as a finished thing. Louis Simpson, New York Times Book Review, 21 Nov. 1982 I had never seen them looking so despondent. a group of despondent fans Recent Examples on the Web Torres had just separated from the mother of his children, and was despondent. Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2022 Malik became despondent and locked himself in his room for three days, barely speaking to anyone. Adam Ferrise, cleveland, 14 Aug. 2022 But what made it into the final bill is still extremely significant, especially on climate, where Democrats and environmental groups were despondent before Wednesday about their path to meeting America’s emissions goals without a bill. Benjy Sarlin, NBC News, 28 July 2022 Rather than feel despondent that decisions on their own home turf won’t move the dial, Powell said, Utahns should feel hopeful about cities embracing localscape mandates. Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 July 2022 In real life, many Judas Priest fans were despondent over the absence of original singer Rob Halford, and the band had to downscale from arenas to clubs. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 18 July 2022 She’s been overwhelmed by her own grief while taking care of three despondent children by herself. Holly Yan, CNN, 19 June 2022 Might the child suffer from hearing about the deceased loved one and become despondent by now once again missing the grandparent, as though opening already settled emotional wounds? Lance Eliot, Forbes, 2 July 2022 The other, Keystone, who served with the Army in the Middle East and suffered traumatic brain injury, was despondent about a contentious family drama and knew the Dreamer would help him through it. Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2022 See More
Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2022 Malik became despondent and locked himself in his room for three days, barely speaking to anyone. Adam Ferrise, cleveland, 14 Aug. 2022 But what made it into the final bill is still extremely significant, especially on climate, where Democrats and environmental groups were despondent before Wednesday about their path to meeting America’s emissions goals without a bill. Benjy Sarlin, NBC News, 28 July 2022 Rather than feel despondent that decisions on their own home turf won’t move the dial, Powell said, Utahns should feel hopeful about cities embracing localscape mandates. Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 July 2022 In real life, many Judas Priest fans were despondent over the absence of original singer Rob Halford, and the band had to downscale from arenas to clubs. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 18 July 2022 She’s been overwhelmed by her own grief while taking care of three despondent children by herself. Holly Yan, CNN, 19 June 2022 Might the child suffer from hearing about the deceased loved one and become despondent by now once again missing the grandparent, as though opening already settled emotional wounds? Lance Eliot, Forbes, 2 July 2022 The other, Keystone, who served with the Army in the Middle East and suffered traumatic brain injury, was despondent about a contentious family drama and knew the Dreamer would help him through it. Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Latin despondent-, despondens, present participle of despondēre
First Known Use
circa 1699, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
despondent
adjective
de·spon·dent di-ˈspän-dənt
: very sad
Left alone, she grew despondent.
despondent
adjective
1
as in desperate
feeling or showing no hope after four days and still no word that the missing plane had been located, the relatives were despondent Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- desperate
- hopeless
- unhappy
- sad
- despairing
- disappointed
- depressed
- heartbroken
- forlorn
- mournful
- bleak
- cynical
- melancholy
- dejected
- dispirited
- crestfallen
- downhearted
- discouraged
- dark
- disconsolate
- heartsick
- depressing
- glum
- downcast
- disheartened
- sorrowful
- miserable
- accepting
- resigned
- woebegone
- grieving
- saddened
- doleful
- joyless
- inconsolable
- gloomy
- hangdog
- weeping
- heartsore
- brokenhearted
- sorry
- abject
- blue
- cheerless
- wailing
- woeful
- pessimistic
- desolate
- wretched
- low-spirited
- down
- dismal
- funereal
- dreary
- low
- comfortless
- drear
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- hopeful
- optimistic
- exultant
- ecstatic
- exuberant
- euphoric
- enraptured
- merry
- jovial
- elated
- jolly
- mirthful
- exhilarated
- blithe
- gay
- entranced
- lively
- encouraged
- jubilant
- cheerful
- happy
- perky
- joyful
- joyous
- jocund
- sprightly
- gleeful
- upbeat
- vivacious
- buoyant
- glad
- animated
- jaunty
- cheery
- blissful
- heartened
- delighted
- blithesome
- chipper
- lightsome
- sunny
- gladdened
- gladsome
- sprightful
2
as in depressed
feeling unhappiness feeling despondent over the death of another close friend Synonyms & Similar Words
- depressed
- heartbroken
- unhappy
- sad
- miserable
- melancholy
- worried
- dejected
- upset
- sorry
- hopeless
- crestfallen
- downhearted
- disappointed
- bad
- sorrowful
- disconsolate
- heartsick
- glum
- downcast
- mournful
- uneasy
- forlorn
- troubled
- melancholic
- woebegone
- saddened
- doleful
- joyless
- gloomy
- inconsolable
- hangdog
- distressed
- brokenhearted
- suicidal
- depressing
- discouraged
- droopy
- wretched
- woeful
- heartsore
- heavyhearted
- despairing
- down
- blue
- dispirited
- low-spirited
- cast down
- disheartened
- grieving
- aggrieved
- tearful
- low
- weeping
- anguished
- bleak
- sunk
- morose
- regretful
- somber
- unquiet
- down in the mouth
- plaintive
- dolorous
- sullen
- desolate
- lugubrious
- agonized
- lachrymose
- cheerless
- morbid
- wailing
- rueful
- saturnine
- elegiac
- dismal
- dark
- gray
- dreary
- comfortless
- drear
- funereal
- darkening
- black
- sombre
- murky
- grey
- elegiacal
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- jubilant
- happy
- cheerful
- joyful
- joyous
- gleeful
- buoyed
- upbeat
- exultant
- buoyant
- glad
- elated
- cheery
- ecstatic
- exuberant
- blissful
- euphoric
- chipper
- delighted
- enraptured
- exhilarated
- hopeful
- overjoyed
- jovial
- merry
- optimistic
- rapturous
- sunny
- excited
- jolly
- mirthful
- rhapsodic
- entranced
- rhapsodical
- sanguine
- jocund
- blithe
- jocular
- jocose
- rosy
- blithesome
- gladdened
- lightsome
- thrilled
- gladsome
- spirited
- lively
- smiling
- encouraged
- energetic
- perky
- satisfied
- sprightly
- vivacious
- animated
- laughing
- jaunty
- bouncing
- vital
- pleased
- content
- frisky
- unconcerned
- heartened
- gratified
- careless
- springy
- peppy
- grinning
- carefree
- lighthearted
- beaming
- cavalier
- insouciant
- easygoing
- zippy
- boon
- sprightful
- happy-go-lucky
- devil-may-care
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of despondent are despairing, desperate, and hopeless. While all these words mean "having lost all or nearly all hope," despondent implies a deep dejection arising from a conviction of the uselessness of further effort.
despondent about yet another rejection
The words despairing and despondent can be used in similar contexts, but despairing suggests the slipping away of all hope and often despondency.
despairing appeals for the return of the kidnapped child
The synonyms desperate and despondent are sometimes interchangeable, but desperate implies despair that prompts reckless action or violence in the face of defeat or frustration.
one last desperate attempt to turn the tide of battle
While in some cases nearly identical to despondent, hopeless suggests despair and the cessation of effort or resistance and often implies acceptance or resignation.
the situation of the trapped miners is hopeless