despair 1 of 2

noun

di-ˈsper How to pronounce despair (audio)
Definition of despairnext
1
as in desperation
utter loss of hope the endless drought drove the farmers to despair

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2
as in dismay
the state of being discouraged the other team's temporary lead caused some momentary despair

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

despair

2 of 2

verb

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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of despair
Noun
There is romance and melancholy, playfulness and despair, all happening at once. — Photovogue, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026 There’s a wonderful fraction of a second when the Villa fans in the Holte End have to adjust from impending despair to utter joy. — Amitai Winehouse, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
And if the waitlist gets outrageous, don’t despair—there are many ways to slurp in Tomales Bay. — Becky Duffett, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 June 2026 There won’t be a Knicks game this Sunday, but people looking to watch something full of New York pride should not despair. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for despair
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despair
  1. desperation
  2. dismay
  3. grieve
  4. sadness
  5. discouragement
  6. suffer
  7. hopelessness
  8. mourn
Noun
  • With four great games to choose from, and desperation from half of the teams, this is can’t-miss baseball.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • What readers are saying The comments express strong criticism of Senate Republicans' last-minute legislative efforts before the midterm elections, suggesting these actions are driven by desperation rather than genuine concern for the public.
    — Theodoric Meyer, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of desperation
Noun
  • And to my family’s dismay, more good books are being published every week.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Just like that, months of dismay — and his 0-for-3 start to the afternoon — were forgotten.
    — Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of dismay
Verb
  • Published in 2024, The Crying Boy follows a grieving widow trying to rebuild her life in Queens after the violent death of her husband.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
  • But while politicians trade barbs, residents in Rio de Janeiro have been designing their own responses, with ex-traffickers launching podcasts and grieving mothers stepping up to stop youth recruitment.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of grieve
Noun
  • This year's report finds that levels of persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness among high schoolers have fallen in recent years – from 42% in 2021, to 40% in 2023 and 33% in 2025.
    — Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Scott is tremendous and tragic in the film, maybe more so in its moments of dark humor than in its final beats of near operatic sadness.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • In a paper in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, members of the WTA’s performance and health staff stressed the importance of providing support, rather than discouragement, to athletes seeking to preserve their fertility.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Despite the feeling of discouragement that can come with the rejections and even ghostings applicants face, these internships — though sometimes few and far between — still exist.
    — Cami Fateh, Vogue, 15 July 2026
Definition of discouragement
Verb
  • Both original pilots remained under medical care after suffering injuries during the cockpit confrontation.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Ominously, though, Huss' research shows that individual glaciers, among them Switzerland's biggest, like the mighty Rhône and Aletsch, have suffered record ice loss this year.
    — Imogen Foulkes, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of suffer
Noun
  • Women are more likely than men to report severe depression and hopelessness following breakups, but men are three to four times more likely to commit suicide.
    — George Loewenstein, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026
  • This year's report finds that levels of persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness among high schoolers have fallen in recent years – from 42% in 2021, to 40% in 2023 and 33% in 2025.
    — Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of hopelessness
Verb
  • Countless Hollywood celebrities, music stars and fans mourned Parton after her death last month.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
  • An absent father—mourning a mother—a startling lack of siblings but a plethora of cousins—exile from her community.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of mourn

Browse Nearby Words

desolations
despair
despaired
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Cite this Entry

“Despair.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despair. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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