as in grieved
to lose all hope or confidence
we despaired when we saw how little time we had left to complete our project
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Recent Examples of despaired
Benjamin killed himself at the French-Spanish border in 1940, having despaired of his chances of escaping the Nazis.
—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
In 2014, the party despaired at the success of the Koch donor network — decades of right-wing philanthropy that paid off in the tea party movement.
—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
10 June 2026
In her interview, Guthrie also despaired over the possibility that her fame could have made her mother a target for kidnappers, Page Six also reported.
—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
The Herald’s competitors despaired of ever competing with that paper’s speedy acquisition of news, and one, the Journal of Commerce, eventually gave up and created a cooperative agreement with the Herald that would become instrumental in the creation of the Associated Press.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
6 Mar. 2026
Democrats rejoiced; Republicans despaired.
—
Kevin Igoe,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Feb. 2026
The news of her 23-year-old son’s execution shocked and despaired the world.
—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Anyone who ever despaired about their outstanding mortgage remaining virtually static despite months of repayments will relate.
—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Sep. 2025
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
In 2014, the party despaired at the success of the Koch donor network — decades of right-wing philanthropy that paid off in the tea party movement.
—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
10 June 2026
In her interview, Guthrie also despaired over the possibility that her fame could have made her mother a target for kidnappers, Page Six also reported.
—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
The Herald’s competitors despaired of ever competing with that paper’s speedy acquisition of news, and one, the Journal of Commerce, eventually gave up and created a cooperative agreement with the Herald that would become instrumental in the creation of the Associated Press.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
6 Mar. 2026
Democrats rejoiced; Republicans despaired.
—
Kevin Igoe,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Feb. 2026
The news of her 23-year-old son’s execution shocked and despaired the world.
—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Anyone who ever despaired about their outstanding mortgage remaining virtually static despite months of repayments will relate.
—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despaired
Verb
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While the family grieved, the Willard Police Department got to work.
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The other thing most people miss is the sheer scale of what’s actually being grieved.
Verb
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Many public transit systems suffered as remote work increased and ridership declined.
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On June 24, Runnels suffered a medical event and was taken to JPS Hospital, where Runnels died the next day.
Verb
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Noticias Telemundo confirmed the deaths with Trejo’s soccer club, Club Sport Marítimo de La Guaira, which mourned the tragic loss of their player’s family.
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He was mourned by friends and family Sands' funeral details were kept private by the family, but several people close to the actor publicly spoke out about his death.
Cite this Entry
“Despaired.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despaired. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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