despairing

adjective

de·​spair·​ing di-ˈsper-iŋ 

: given to, arising from, or marked by despair : devoid of hope

despairingly

di-ˈsper-iŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• bearish
• defeatist
• downbeat
• hopeless
• pessimistic

Choose the Right Synonym for despairing

despondent, despairing, desperate, hopeless 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

despairing suggests the slipping away of all hope and often despondency.

despairing appeals for the return of the kidnapped child

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

hopeless suggests despair and the cessation of effort or resistance and often implies acceptance or resignation.

the situation of the trapped miners is hopeless

Examples of despairing in a Sentence

despairing predictions regarding the effects of global overpopulation

despairing applicants need to be reminded that most students are eventually accepted somewhere

Recent Examples on the Web

And yet, their despairing expressions are the same. —Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2024

Miraculously, however, it is told in the voice of a musician, Rainy, a man who refuses to knuckle under and whose tones remain kind and more hopeful than despairing. —Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 22 June 2024

In the fall of 2018, Hunter Biden moved back to the East Coast after months of despairing drug abuse in California. —Dan Morrison, USA TODAY, 13 June 2024

One of the ur-dogs of the planet, a dingo/jackal/hound, a traveler-in-packs, a sharp-witted middleweight, a superfast runner, beaky, brainy, built for the Great Unraveling, for broken cities and despairing populations. —James Parker, The Atlantic, 13 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of despair entry 2

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

despairing

adjective

de·​spair·​ing

di-ˈspa(ə)r-iŋ,

-ˈspe(ə)r-

: given to, coming from, or marked by despair : not having hope

despairingly

-iŋ-lē 

adverb