DESPAIR Synonyms: 108 Similar and Opposite Words

despair 1 of 2

noun

di-ˈsper

Definition of despair

as in desperation

utter loss of hope the endless drought drove the farmers to despair

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

At one point, Livingston even jumped in herself, to the despair of security and the delight of fans. — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026 Readers of Sorrow and Bliss will remember how Martha’s dark history gave her despair a compelling logic. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 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

Noun

There would be anguish and desperation and worry and guilt for sure.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Swapping dirty fingernails for loose shotgun shells, Abrams carves Bryan from the same gnarled sense of desperation — but gives the character’s spirit a kinder shade overall.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of desperation

Noun

People in New York City looked up in shock and dismay; people everywhere else watched their favorite anchors on old-fashioned television sets and looked for updates on very rudimentary versions of news websites.

— Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026
It is disjointed beyond belief, a wrestling match between dismay and elation.

— George Caulkin, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of dismay

Verb

But that’s what endears him to his fans, who appreciate the chthonic split between the aerial skate aesthete and the grieving empath.

— Jeff Weiss, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Father Joe himself certainly has the backstory for it, being a war veteran who married an Asian woman who died young and lost his grieving daughter to an overdose.

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of grieve

Noun

Despite being steeped in the sadness and frustration of the working class, Lee’s drama uses its film-within-a-film construct to refract the moral valences of labor through the prism of what people actually earn through their work.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2026
This one, however, finds the director in a mood to confront the inevitable changes and march of time, its joys and sadness in the lives of ordinary people going about living it.

— Pete Hammond, Deadline, 4 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

The woman driving the minivan died from injuries suffered in the crash, and two other women in the vehicle suffered serious injuries, ABC 10 reported.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2026
The second running back on the depth chart behind Javonte Williams suffered a hip injury in practice Friday afternoon at the team’s facility in Frisco and left the field in a vehicle, a source confirms.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of suffer

Noun

In the context of suicide, hopelessness can look like acceptance at the end.

— Wendy Murphy, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2026
These proposals, many times rooted in sympathy and love, were presented as alternatives to the political structures and market logic that had so often led to war, exploitation, hopelessness, and suffering.

— Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of hopelessness

Verb

But for thousands who still mourn, especially in the New York region on the 25th anniversary, such fundamental concerns about identifying the victims, counting the dead and finding the culprits is the equivalent of an open wound.

— Mike Kelly, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
However, tragedy strikes after a medical emergency, leaving the staff to mourn him during the Fourth of July shift.

— Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of mourn

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desolations

despair

despaired

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“Despair.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despair. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of despair

noun

verb

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