despondent

adjective

de·​spon·​dent di-ˈspän-dənt 

: feeling or showing extreme discouragement, dejection, or depression

despondent about his health

despondently adverb

Synonyms

• desperate
• hopeless
• unhappy
• sad
• despairing
• disappointed

Choose the Right Synonym for despondent

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 despondent in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

In May 2023, Kesha released Gag Order, a dark, despondent exploration of her trauma, with minimalist production from Rick Rubin and the image of the pop star with a blast bag over her head as its album artwork. —Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 3 July 2025

Authorities say on June 17, Faye fired his handgun inside the Morgan Hill home of an ex-girlfriend, while reportedly despondent about his misdemeanor child abuse arrest two days earlier in Monterey. —Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 27 June 2025

On crutches, all Haliburton could do after the game was greet his despondent teammates in a Paycomm Center hallway. —Sean Gregory, Time, 23 June 2025

Just the kind of leadership despondent Democrats need. —Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin despondent-, despondens, present participle of despondēre

First Known Use

circa 1699, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for despondent

• respondent
• correspondent
• fondant

Kids Definition

despondent

adjective

de·​spond·​ent

di-ˈspän-dənt

: feeling quite discouraged or depressed : being in very low spirits

despondently adverb