despairs

verb

present tense third-person singular of despair
as in grieves
to lose all hope or confidence we despaired when we saw how little time we had left to complete our project

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 despairs In Osamu Dazai’s The Setting Sun, Kazuko despairs of the pain that her brother Naoji’s drug addiction and degenerate behavior have caused the family. — Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 As someone who regularly despairs over the choice between a sweet or savory breakfast meal, this was a godsend. — Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 26 Feb. 2026 When Eva suddenly disappears without a trace, the priest despairs, leading him to commit a series of shocking and violent crimes. — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despairs
  1. grieves
  2. mourns
  3. suffers
Verb
  • Pi-o grieves the death of his friend, unable to get out of bed for days.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Kylie grieves over her comatose boyfriend, setting her on a journey to the English countryside in order to end the curse, and Antonia watches over Kylie’s beau in the hospital.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of grieves
Verb
  • But watching him, Irina mourns the home Serhii will never see.
    — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The Aggie family mourns the loss of former Texas A&M head coach Dennis Franchion.
    — Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of mourns
Verb
  • Their second meeting takes a harrowing turn when Audrey suffers a miscarriage on Eli’s doorstep.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The flip side is that the state suffers crippling deficits when the market tanks, as during the Global Financial Crisis.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of suffers

Browse Nearby Words

despairingly
despairs
desperado
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Cite this Entry

“Despairs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despairs. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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