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
Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Nebraska is Bruce alone with a four-track recorder whispering his despair into a microphone.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2025
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2025
There is a pathetic aspect to Serra’s account of Malaparte’s life, a solipsism that despaired of finding anything worthwhile in life other than movement and adventure.
—Book Marks
july 10, Literary Hub, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for despair
Noun
And saving my daughter from a life of drug addiction and despair.
—Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Nebraska is Bruce alone with a four-track recorder whispering his despair into a microphone.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
If melted candle wax dripped on your carpet or a favorite sweater, don't despair.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2025
There is a pathetic aspect to Serra’s account of Malaparte’s life, a solipsism that despaired of finding anything worthwhile in life other than movement and adventure.
—Book Marks
july 10, Literary Hub, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for despair
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despair
Noun
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But before long his hearing begins to disappear, leading him down a panicked trail of denial, anger and desperation.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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The Irish have scored four total touchdowns in the past two games against Elko, which included that desperation run by Audric Estime at Duke two years ago.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Moments after it was confirmed that Charlie Kirk died from a gunshot wound during a college event Wednesday in Utah, several Arkansas political leaders went to social media to express their dismay over the conservative activist's death.—
Ella McCarthy,
Arkansas Online,
10 Sep. 2025
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To the dismay of party insiders, Anderson slipped through the 1994 Republican primary to win the GOP nomination for state attorney general.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Fox News personality wrote on social media to grieve Kirk’s death.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Sep. 2025
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Devon Mostert, the wife of NFL running back Raheem Mostert, grieved the assassination of conservative political influencer Charlie Kirk on Wednesday.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Julianne cited her sisters' accomplishments in their own fields, as well as their flourishing personal lives, as a reason why the sadness never flowered into full-on resentment.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Sep. 2025
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Shock, anger, sadness, disbelief were words used by multiple senior sources inside the West Wing, ABC News' Katherine Faulders said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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So feelings of self-doubt, frustration, and discouragement start to kick in.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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Hours later, coach Ben Johnson remained aggravated, still sorting through how to deal with his discouragement over a frustrating first quarter.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Colorado River and the two reservoirs have been suffering because of a multidecade drought in the West intensified by climate change, rising demand and overuse.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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United recently endured its worst ever finish to a Premier League season and already in this campaign, Ruben Amorim’s men have suffered a humiliating League Cup defeat to fourth-division Grimsby Town despite the acquisition of expensive new forwards Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško.—
Patrick Snell,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As history tells us, when the most vicious wars inevitably come to an end, destruction, chaos and hopelessness are left in their wake.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
10 Sep. 2025
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Today that sense of hopelessness has been replaced by a sense of determination and a good deal more hope.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Many lawmakers, conservative and liberal alike, mourned him and the incident of political violence.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
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Tahlequah previously made global headlines in 2018 for carrying a dead calf for over 1,000 miles across 17 days, demonstrating what researchers believe is mourning behavior among orcas.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Despair.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despair. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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