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
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
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
-
Julianne cited her sisters' accomplishments in their own fields, as well as their flourishing personal lives, as a reason why the sadness never flowered into full-on resentment.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Shock, anger, sadness, disbelief were words used by multiple senior sources inside the West Wing, ABC News' Katherine Faulders said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Much of the country was in despair then as the Great Recession rolled on.—
John Dorfman,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Columnist Nancy Armour knows all about Bears despair.—
Chris Bumbaca,
USA Today,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In these homes, the conflict between budgeting and feeding kids well creates huge psychological stress for parents, which can lead to anxiety and depression, fueling the vicious cycle of stress and unhealthy eating, Beresin said.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
-
In recent years, the Brit had been open about his struggles with alcohol, drugs and depression.—
Jamie Barton,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But before long his hearing begins to disappear, leading him down a panicked trail of denial, anger and desperation.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The Irish have scored four total touchdowns in the past two games against Elko, which included that desperation run by Audric Estime at Duke two years ago.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The result is a film that glimmers with moments of wit and melancholy but never settles into coherence.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
31 Aug. 2025
-
The film is a series of character studies, quiet, observational and non-judgmental – a comedy, but interwoven with threads of melancholy.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
View each period of pain, sorrow, and struggle as a natural precursor to your inevitable growth.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Similarly, fellow country artists such as the Dixie Chicks, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill expressed their sorrow over his passing.—
Lynsey Eidell,
People.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The doom and gloom among consumers is likely related to the concerning trend of low hiring that is increasingly becoming apparent from revisions by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The mood in clean tech is far from doom and gloom.—
Anna Broughel,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Despond.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despond. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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