DESPAIRING Synonyms: 168 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'despairing' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of despairing are desperate , despondent , and hopeless . While all these words mean "having lost all or nearly all hope," despairing suggests the slipping away of all hope and often despondency. // despairing appeals for the return of the kidnapped child

Q: When is it sensible to use 'desperate' instead of 'despairing'?

While the synonyms desperate and despairing are close in meaning, desperate implies despair that prompts reckless action or violence in the face of defeat or frustration. // one last desperate attempt to turn the tide of battle

Q: When might 'despondent' be a better fit than 'despairing'?

While in some cases nearly identical to despairing , despondent implies a deep dejection arising from a conviction of the uselessness of further effort. // despondent about yet another rejection

Q: Where would 'hopeless' be a reasonable alternative to 'despairing'?

The synonyms hopeless and despairing are sometimes interchangeable, but hopeless suggests despair and the cessation of effort or resistance and often implies acceptance or resignation. // the situation of the trapped miners is hopeless

despairing 1 of 2

adjective

di-ˈsper-iŋ

Definition of despairing

as in hopeless

emphasizing or expecting the worst despairing predictions regarding the effects of global overpopulation

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in desperate

feeling or showing no hope despairing applicants need to be reminded that most students are eventually accepted somewhere

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

despairing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of despair

as in grieving

to lose all hope or confidence we despaired when we saw how little time we had left to complete our project

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How does the adjective despairing differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of despairing are desperate, despondent, and hopeless. While all these words mean "having lost all or nearly all hope," despairing suggests the slipping away of all hope and often despondency.

despairing appeals for the return of the kidnapped child

When is it sensible to use desperate instead of despairing?

While the synonyms desperate and despairing are close in meaning, desperate implies despair that prompts reckless action or violence in the face of defeat or frustration.

one last desperate attempt to turn the tide of battle

When might despondent be a better fit than despairing?

While in some cases nearly identical to despairing, despondent implies a deep dejection arising from a conviction of the uselessness of further effort.

despondent about yet another rejection

Where would hopeless be a reasonable alternative to despairing?

The synonyms hopeless and despairing are sometimes interchangeable, but hopeless suggests despair and the cessation of effort or resistance and often implies acceptance or resignation.

the situation of the trapped miners is hopeless

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 despairing

Adjective

Irony doesn’t have to be nihilistic or despairing. — Aaron Matz, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026 Rebin carries a despairing sense of hope in him, months later. — Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026

Verb

Those ‘boys’ are in their late forties and fifties now — a comforting reminder, to parents who may be despairing about enduring another entry in this franchise, that all children eventually grow up. — Caspar Salmon, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026 The book’s tone shifts from philosophical to playful to despairing to sensual, and on around again. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for despairing

Recent Examples of Synonyms for despairing

Adjective

But Texans also have something to teach the country about digging in and fighting for a seemingly hopeless cause; conservatives aren’t the only ones who remember the Alamo.

— Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2026
Owens not only lacked an undergraduate degree but did poorly in school, where she was described as a hopeless case.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of hopeless

Adjective

Republicans are desperate to hold onto at least one chamber of the state Legislature as a block against a Democratic monopoly in Lansing.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
At work as a typist for a legal firm, Betty is confronted by a woman in more desperate straits than her own.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of desperate

Verb

This is really a lovely, meaningful approach to grieving, self-healing and to creating space where people can meditate and breathe and feel connected.

— Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 8 Nov. 2026
For people like us grieving the passing of a furry friend, and others who have a fondness for dogs but not be ready to own one, programs like Barks & Recreation can serve a valuable purpose.

— Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of grieving

Adjective

The piece is an exuberantly hopeful and unabashedly patriotic look at America and its possibilities that seems downright defiant in such a deeply cynical and divided time in the nation’s history.

— Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
Far more gruesome and cynical than its YA label would imply, Weiner’s brisk novel is the literary equivalent of a sugar rush.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of cynical

Verb

The months leading up to the American elections had already been a rollercoaster for Asian investors, who saw their fortunes soar in June during the AI stock boom, but have been suffering from a brutal recent sell-off.

— Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 6 Nov. 2026
One man, Akram Mahmoud Omar, 77, was released on a habeas corpus petition after suffering a heart attack at an ICE detention camp in Louisiana.

— Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of suffering

Adjective

Sheriff’s officials sad Damico, who had personal ties with Canata, claimed to be his power of attorney but was unable to provide any correlating paperwork or a will to verify such statements.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 10 Nov. 2026
The musical comedy has earned Moore raves on the festival circuit for her role as a sad suburban homemaker turned anxious aspiring actress in a New Jersey community theater.

— Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 9 Nov. 2026

Definition of sad

Verb

His older brother Teboho Edkins decided to make a film about the experience of grief and mourning that his family and the local community went through.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2026
The town of some 3,000 inhabitants declared three days of mourning with flags at half mast at the town hall.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of mourning

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“Despairing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despairing. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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