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despond 1 of 2

noun

Definition of despondnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

despond

2 of 2

verb

di-ˈspänd How to pronounce despond (audio)
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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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 despond
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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despond
  1. sadness
  2. despair
  3. depression
  4. desperation
  5. melancholy
  6. sorrow
  7. gloom
  8. mournfulness
Noun
  • Postpartum depression can be anxiousness or sadness, tearfulness, difficulty sleeping.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The sadness comes from reflecting on how those founders used their newly independent government and military might against Indigenous people.
    — Scott Baldauf, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • Churches are supposed to be off-limits for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but that has meant little to a community that often turns to God and worship in times of despair.
    — Lauren Costantino September 19, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026
  • What follows is an escalation of death and despair for all parties involved.
    — Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of despair
Noun
  • The work is meant to address the 3- to 6-inch-deep depression on Pocket Road, city spokesperson Carlos Eliason said.
    — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Perpetrators target underage girls, typically between the ages of 10 and 17 years old, often preying on minors already struggling with mental health issues such as depression and suicidal ideation, according to the FBI.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of depression
Noun
  • And since Bob hasn’t managed to elevate his station in the last 26 years, suffering the indignity of dealing with a much younger boss (Blake Anderson), his desperation is understandable.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
  • But their primitive way of living reveals itself to rather more devastating effect when their third child is born, and Inger commits an act of unthinkable desperation.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of desperation
Noun
  • On the one hand, there’s a fascination with collective joy and the forms of vernacular invention that aspire to it; on the other, there’s an underlying melancholy that points to the inevitability of isolation, an epistemology of loneliness.
    — Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Beneath all the sensuality and beauty, there’s also a lingering melancholy that feels very familiar to me.
    — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 16 June 2026
Definition of melancholy
Noun
  • President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack in separate statements and expressed sorrow over the deaths.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
  • In direct contradiction to Herzog, Zamir’s office stated that Azaria had never expressed sorrow or remorse about the killing.
    — Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of sorrow
Noun
  • They are finally revealed as the head-lamps of a gang of thieves, robbing a church, caught closer up, their faces occasionally emerging from the gloom.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Inside, we were whisked away to a world of rain and candles and velvet and creepy houses and stormy, witchy gloom.
    — Danielle Pergament, Allure, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of gloom
Noun
  • Power Ballad should be breezy and fun, with that twist of mournfulness that Carney is always so adept at pulling off.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 May 2026
Definition of mournfulness

Phrases Containing despond

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despoliations
despond
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Cite this Entry

“Despond.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despond. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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