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
Relevance
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
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
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
-
As the Sugar Bowl Academy grieves following Tuesday's deadly avalanche north of California's Lake Tahoe, the news is also hitting people hard in the Bay Area's Marin County.—
Andrea Nakano,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Valerie Krystine Muniz, who identified herself on social media as Addi’s aunt and the sister of her father, urged people to stop speculating as the family grieves.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
James Van Der Beek's widow is speaking out as Hollywood mourns another loss.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
-
As the Grey’s Anatomy family mourns the death of Eric Dane, Katherine Heigl has paid tribute to the late actor in a statement.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Courteney Cox's Gale Weathers, now a reporter for NY's Channel 7, also suffers from nerve damage in her hand caused by the Ghostface attack in her Manhattan apartment in the previous film.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Feb. 2026
-
At the center is Kimberly, who is turning 16, but suffers from an affliction that ages her body at four to five times the pace of a normal human.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Despairs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despairs. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
