as in grieves
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 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
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
Verb
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Now 32, Karanja grieves the milestones and achievements her dad hasn't been able to share — her graduation from college, for example, and her budding career as a researcher.—
Marc Silver,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
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Renata grieves for her deceased sister, Josie, and fears being arrested for meting out her own form of justice for the death.—
Oline H. Cogdill,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department mourns the loss of Deputy Levi Vargas, who passed away on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the age of 30.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
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James Van Der Beek's widow is speaking out as Hollywood mourns another loss.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The daughters come together after their mother (Geraldine Page) suffers a mental breakdown.—
Chris Koseluk,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Mar. 2026
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But once they’re installed, these technologies are largely insulated from geopolitical events, as Pakistan has proved in recent weeks by leaning on solar while neighboring Bangladesh suffers from skyrocketing gas prices.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Despairs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despairs. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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