DESPAIRED Synonyms: 27 Similar and Opposite Words

despaired

verb

past tense of despair

as in grieved

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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Recent Examples of despaired The 49ers energetically dominated in a 27-7 victory while the Rams exhaustedly despaired in front of more than 100,000 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a venue that hosts Australian rules football games that aren’t this ugly. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Benjamin killed himself at the French-Spanish border in 1940, having despaired of his chances of escaping the Nazis. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 In 2014, the party despaired at the success of the Koch donor network — decades of right-wing philanthropy that paid off in the tea party movement. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 10 June 2026 In her interview, Guthrie also despaired over the possibility that her fame could have made her mother a target for kidnappers, Page Six also reported. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026 The Herald’s competitors despaired of ever competing with that paper’s speedy acquisition of news, and one, the Journal of Commerce, eventually gave up and created a cooperative agreement with the Herald that would become instrumental in the creation of the Associated Press. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Mar. 2026 Democrats rejoiced; Republicans despaired. — Kevin Igoe, Baltimore Sun, 4 Feb. 2026 The news of her 23-year-old son’s execution shocked and despaired the world. — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025 Anyone who ever despaired about their outstanding mortgage remaining virtually static despite months of repayments will relate. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for despaired

Verb

Several fans grieved the restaurant’s closing on its social pages.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026
Jake Reiner sat for an interview with ABC7 Los Angeles on Thursday, delving into how his surviving family has grieved during the past several months since his parents’ deaths.

— Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of grieved

Verb

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suffered a bruising electoral setback in two state elections Sunday, including a historic defeat for his party, but vowed to press ahead with potentially painful reforms to Europe’s biggest economy.

— Kirsten Grieshaber, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
Reed suffered the injury after taking a significant blow to the head on a swing pass from quarterback Jordan Love.

— Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of suffered

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despair

despaired

despairing

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“Despaired.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despaired. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of despaired

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