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de·spon·den·cy | \ di-ˈspän-dən-sē 
\
\Definition of despondency
: the state of being despondent or extremely low in spirits : dejection, hopelessness sank into despondency while he was unemployed
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Synonyms & Antonyms for despondency
Synonyms
- blue devils,
- blues,
- dejection,
- depression,
- desolation,
- despond,
- despondence,
- disconsolateness,
- dispiritedness,
- doldrums,
- dolefulness,
- downheartedness,
- dreariness,
- dumps,
- forlornness,
- gloom,
- gloominess,
- glumness,
- heartsickness,
- joylessness,
- melancholy,
- miserableness,
- mopes,
- mournfulness,
- oppression,
- sadness,
- sorrowfulness,
- unhappiness
Antonyms
- bliss,
- blissfulness,
- ecstasy,
- elatedness,
- elation,
- euphoria,
- exhilaration,
- exuberance,
- exultation,
- felicity,
- gladness,
- gladsomeness,
- happiness,
- heaven,
- intoxication,
- joy,
- joyfulness,
- joyousness,
- jubilation,
- rapture,
- rapturousness
Examples of despondency in a Sentence
in despondency because he couldn't seem to settle into a lasting relationship
in their despondency they seemingly forgot that losing teams can become winning teams in a single season
Recent Examples on the Web For a generation of youngsters who had taken campus recruitment as almost a birthright, the prospect of not having the opportunity of employment is bringing back a despondency that their parents had faced in the decades before the 1990s.
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S. Gopikrishna Warrier, Quartz India, "Like unchecked growth, economic decline too can have environmental fallouts in India," 20 Jan. 2020 With four straight quarters of pretax losses overseas, there’s no shortage of despondency.
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Washington Post, "Nomura’s Still Bloated. It’s Time to Cut Deep," 31 Jan. 2019 In the 1970s the despondency was prompted by concerns about overpopulation, environmental damage and the prospect of nuclear immolation.
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The Economist, "Pessimism v progress," 18 Dec. 2019 Romanians, especially the young and educated, have left the country in droves over the past decade, drawn by better opportunities elsewhere in Europe, but also by despondency over the lack of progress at home.
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Marc Santora, New York Times, "Voters in Romania Reject Years of Scandals and Chaos," 24 Nov. 2019 The movie incorporates themes relevant to our current grim political environment, but cautions against despondency.
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Caitlin Mullen, chicagotribune.com, "Shout Out: Dan Dinello, filmmaker, author of books about movies, popular culture," 22 Oct. 2019 And yet, despite the despondency evident in this transitional phase, the record has plenty of optimism about the future.
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Carrie Battan, The New Yorker, "Brockhampton Grows Up," 2 Sep. 2019 And so, despondency has become a mainstay of Palestinian life.
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Dalia Hatuqa / Ramallah, Time, "'Less Space to Breathe.' How Palestinians Are Responding to Netanyahu’s West Bank Annexation Plans," 13 Sep. 2019 And the slow reveal of Leigh’s relationship with Axel and the events that led to her mother’s despondency offer a satisfying payoff.
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Meg Medina, New York Times, "Dark Magic and Other Escapes in These Summer Y.A. Novels," 1 June 2018
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'despondency.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Time Traveler for despondency
The first known use of despondency was in 1653
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