1
as in desperation
utter loss of hope
the endless drought drove the farmers to despair
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dismay
the state of being discouraged
the other team's temporary lead caused some momentary despair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to grieve
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of despair
Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
Each of these reliquary sculptures reminds us that art can register loss without nostalgia and sadness without despair.
—Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Sep. 2025
While the first Korean drop vanished instantly, U.S. fans don’t have to despair.
—Lanee Lee, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despair
Noun
His loving, pragmatic wife, Mi-ri (Son Ye-jin), gamely downsizes their middle-class life to fit their new reality — but her resoluteness only exacerbates his despair.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
Each of these reliquary sculptures reminds us that art can register loss without nostalgia and sadness without despair.
—Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
But other costs have added to despair: the relative prices of housing, healthcare, and student debt have risen.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Sep. 2025
While the first Korean drop vanished instantly, U.S. fans don’t have to despair.
—Lanee Lee, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despair
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despair
Noun
-
Phoenix also likely reached to grab Khaman Maluach with the 10th pick in the draft, underscoring the Suns’ desperation to fix a center position that has troubled them for years.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Netanyahu behaves like a gambler who in his desperation doubles down again and again.—
Ehud Barak,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Alcaraz and Sinner both skipped the Canadian Open in August, to the dismay of its organizers.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Having spent the day expressing dismay over immigration stats and joy over the latest Space X launch, Musk had nothing to say about Mondays’ suit.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
At Islam’s home, in the Bronx, Mamdani was received by the officer’s parents, his pregnant widow, his children, and other grieving relatives.—
Eric Lach,
New Yorker,
9 Oct. 2025
-
In the years since, Audrey had repeatedly pulled out her feathers, a behavior common among distressed or grieving birds.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But the sadness at seeing Nuno depart does not equate to an anti-Postecoglou sentiment.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Any book that centers love, friendship, dependence, entwinement, with humor, grace, sadness, pathos, that has such immense warmth and care at the core, is the best kind of book to me.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The gradual combination of these skills helps students avoid most crashes in the long term, leading to less discouragement and frustration.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
So feelings of self-doubt, frustration, and discouragement start to kick in.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Real Madrid star Franco Mastantuono suffered a muscle strain and will leave the Argentine camp and head back to Spain.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
11 Oct. 2025
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The team came into Friday’s win-or-go-home game shorthanded after forward Satou Sabally sustained a concussion late in Game 3 and suffered another blow when forward Alyssa Thomas appeared to injure her shoulder before halftime.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Strangers became friends and friends became family in a crowd that has felt anger, despair and hopelessness before finally feeling some happiness.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
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And in a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 40% of American teens reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2023, up from 30% in 2013.—
Krista Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In Tel Aviv, silent vigils mourn Gaza’s children—absent, yet achingly present in large-scale photographs.—
Beatrice Verhoeven,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Oct. 2025
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Tel Aviv activists hold silent vigils mourning Gaza’s children, confronting public hostility with quiet resilience.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Despair.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despair. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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