1
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits
he sank into a crushing despond after his wife left him
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in despair
utter loss of hope
loss of his job threw him into a deep despond
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to despair
to lose all hope or confidence
we must not despond even though we live in trying times
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of despond
Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2024
The slough of Mardenborough's despond comes towards the end of the film when a crash at the Nürburgring results in the death of a spectator.
—Elana Scherr, Car and Driver, 11 Aug. 2023
Their partnership—in fighting Communism and reviving the U.S. economy after the despond of the 1970s—changed American debate.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 1 Oct. 2020
Animal spirits might buoy up markets again, or investors might sink back into the sort of despond that ended 2015, but sentiment currently offers little guide.
—James MacKintosh, WSJ, 20 Dec. 2018
On its best nights, the N.B.A. offers a free-jazz apex, as good teams (none of which are found within hundreds of miles of that basketball despond in New York City) offer jukes and passes and shooting.
—Michael Powell, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2016
Noun
Lonely and addicted to her social media feeds, Selena plunged into a deep despond and filmed her death-by-overdose on Snap.
—Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2024
The slough of Mardenborough's despond comes towards the end of the film when a crash at the Nürburgring results in the death of a spectator.
—Elana Scherr, Car and Driver, 11 Aug. 2023
Their partnership—in fighting Communism and reviving the U.S. economy after the despond of the 1970s—changed American debate.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 1 Oct. 2020
Animal spirits might buoy up markets again, or investors might sink back into the sort of despond that ended 2015, but sentiment currently offers little guide.
—James MacKintosh, WSJ, 20 Dec. 2018
On its best nights, the N.B.A. offers a free-jazz apex, as good teams (none of which are found within hundreds of miles of that basketball despond in New York City) offer jukes and passes and shooting.
—Michael Powell, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despond
Noun
-
There were, however, occasional moments of despair rather than delight.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Not all rabbis spoke from the same ideological place, but a common thread was their effort to assert Jewish moral vocabulary in a moment of despair.—
Asaf Elia-Shalev,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Forecasters said in an Aug. 18 advisory that environmental conditions appear conducive for gradual development of this system, and a tropical depression could form during the latter part of this week.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
19 Aug. 2025
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The hurricane center has already identified a tropical wave behind Erin that has a medium chance of developing into a tropical depression or tropical storm within the next seven days.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The film follows Man-su (Lee), a once-content middle-class family man who is abruptly laid off from his job, sending him into a spiral of anxiety and desperation.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Aug. 2025
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The price paid depended on the buyer’s and seller’s bargaining skills – and desperation.—
Jay L. Zagorsky,
The Conversation,
31 July 2025
Noun
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Lacy’s new music maintains his sly sense of humor, but with a barefaced melancholy that pushes it to new emotional depths.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
14 Aug. 2025
-
More often than not, the film’s nostalgia is sweet and enjoyable because it is paired with the melancholy that comes from all the acknowledgments of the actors from the original who died over the last 29 years.—
Jesse David Fox,
Vulture,
30 July 2025
Noun
-
While this may be cause for near-term volatility, the July jobs report wasn’t all doom and gloom.—
Jeffrey Schulze,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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But even amidst all the doom and gloom, Pattinson shines, slathering on the black eyeliner and moping around to Nirvana.—
Devan Coggan,
EW.com,
3 Aug. 2025
Noun
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On the OpenAI community forums and Reddit, long-time chatters are expressing sorrow at losing access to models like GPT-4o.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
8 Aug. 2025
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As images of starving children in Gaza continue to circulate and the international outcry grows louder, a number of American rabbis used their pulpits to speak up about the humanitarian crisis, some with sorrow, others with moral urgency, and many with a sense that silence was no longer tenable.—
Asaf Elia-Shalev,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Despond.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despond. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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