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
Glenn Garner, Deadline, 9 June 2025
Anybody with sense memories of real-life disasters — from 9/11 to the COVID pandemic — will recognize the human need to normalize despair and catastrophe, as will those who’ve spent a lot of time thinking about climate collapse.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 June 2025
Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 2 May 2025
In a recent interview with the Korea Times Bae talked about the kind of societal expectations that might drive a young person to despair.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despair
Noun
The way the real Nikki and Molly deployed gallows humor and cracked each other up in moments of despair felt so relatable.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 9 June 2025
Anybody with sense memories of real-life disasters — from 9/11 to the COVID pandemic — will recognize the human need to normalize despair and catastrophe, as will those who’ve spent a lot of time thinking about climate collapse.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 June 2025
Verb
The cost of housing in America is so high that many Americans despair of ever owning a home.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 2 May 2025
In a recent interview with the Korea Times Bae talked about the kind of societal expectations that might drive a young person to despair.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despair
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despair
Noun
-
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a chance to close out the series in Game 6 on Thursday night, but the Indiana Pacers came out with desperation in front of their home crowd and dominated for nearly the entire contest.—
Nick Crain,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
-
Perry strips the narrative down to raw moments of desperation, exploring what can happen when someone's pushed beyond their limits.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
10 June 2025
Noun
-
Six games into the 1981-82 season, Johnson expressed dismay over then-coach Paul Westhead, which paved the way for a 36-year-old Pat Riley to take over as head coach.—
James Jackson,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
-
The insults didn’t phase Springsteen, who has since continued to voice his dismay with the current state of affairs in his home country on stage.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
18 June 2025
Verb
-
She’s encountered many grieving parents who lost their children to gunfire.—
Tribune News Service,
Twin Cities,
21 June 2025
-
Like the notion of never stepping into the same river twice, the protagonist in my own book, upon finally accepting that loving a river is an act of loving an ever-changing, never-graspable flow, is irrevocably changed by that painful experience and yet doesn’t have the staying power to grieve it.—
Siouxzi Connor
June 20,
Literary Hub,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
At the time, Joel was also passionate about motorcycles, despite both the record and the insurance company's discouragement.—
Marina Watts,
People.com,
6 June 2025
-
Similarly, entrepreneurs should extract valuable insights from rejections while discarding the discouragement.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The on-court product has not suffered, and the basketball has been amazing.—
Mike Vorkunov,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
-
Both the motorcyclist and the officer were transported to a hospital; the motorcyclist was suffering from critical injuries, but the extent of the officer’s injuries was unknown, according to Molina.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 June 2025
Verb
-
These lonely senior citizens arrive at a Los Angeles bungalow where Fish, newly discharged from an asylum, wrestles with an imagined demon and Poinsettia mourns a fantasy romance with composer Giacomo Puccini.—
Armond White,
National Review,
25 June 2025
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The Ultimate Angus Philly went the way of the Dodo almost 15 years ago, and customers have been mourning the discontinuation of The Three Cheese Steak Sandwich for the better part of a decade.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
Not the murder, not the arrival of the addicted sister, but the removal of the boy that has been at the core of so much sorrow and betrayal between the sisters.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
20 June 2025
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Referencing the push and pull between sorrow and hope, Echakhch transforms water into a metaphor for emotional duality.—
Nel-Olivia Waga,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Verb
-
So giving Luis Campusano a start — finally — can’t hurt a whole lot.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 June 2025
-
Clark got hurt at the end of that game and hasn’t suited up since.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
14 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Despair.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despair. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.
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