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
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
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
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But anyone who has ever grieved knows there will be no closure for these families; there will be only an opening, a void where someone was and now isn’t.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
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Chung adds that her decision to preserve MisTricks in this way has been a source of comfort as she's grieved the death of her pup.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Two of them belong to Anthony, who was only invited to join Team USA in mid-February when Arizona Diamondbacks star Corbin Carroll suffered a broken hamate and was forced to drop out.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
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Last year, the conservative school boards in Tarrant County and elsewhere suffered significant losses.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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McSweeney also mourned the loss of 2022 Calvary graduate and Tulane basketball player Gregg Glenn III, who drowned near Key Biscayne in July.—
Gary Curreri,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Mar. 2026
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Valadez’s family set up a GoFundMe to ask for help with funeral expenses and transporting him to Mexico to be mourned by the rest of his family.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Despaired.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despaired. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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