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
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
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
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The saga unfolded as Carla and Carlotta grieved an unrelated loss.—
Jennifer Cannon,
Vanity Fair,
7 Apr. 2026
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The whole country mourned her loss and grieved for her two young daughters, Ellie and Carrie, who were just 6 and 2 at the time.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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One of four boosters suffered what looked like a burn through of one of its nozzles about 30 seconds into launch, similar to what a Vulcan launch suffered in 2024 on its second ever flight.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2026
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In at least two cases Taylor has seen, the relationship between the child and parent suffered lasting damage.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When the popular Italian restaurant Caffe Vialetto closed in 2025 after 26 years of feeding families and sharing milestones, diners across Miami mourned the loss of the Coral Gables icon, a stable oasis for quiet dinners and family celebrations in a wildly changing culinary landscape.—
Connie Ogle
April 9,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
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Family members mourned Tuesday in Beirut at the funeral of Pierre Mouawad and his wife, Flavia.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Despaired.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despaired. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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