DESPONDENCIES Synonyms: 116 Similar and Opposite Words

despondency

noun

di-ˈspän-dən-sē

Definition of despondency

as in sadness

a state or spell of low spirits in despondency because he couldn't seem to settle into a lasting relationship

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in despair

the state of being discouraged in their despondency they seemingly forgot that losing teams can become winning teams in a single season

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in desperation

utter loss of hope never once gave into despondency and self-pity during her long recovery from her injuries in the car crash

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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 despondency Instead, a combination of internal disputes, instability around Alvaro Arbeloa’s position and the fact that several players are facing an uncertain future means the picture is one of discord and despondency. — Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 5 May 2026 At each meeting, trustees face outrage over the 1,000 pink slips issued to district staff and parent despondency over the closure of preschool programs and other services. — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 23 Apr. 2026 But while some like Nazanin feel a despondency heading into the new year, for others, hope springs eternal. — Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026 There are delicate parallels in O’Halloran’s screenplay showing the different ways in which the Evans men deal with their despondencies. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for despondency

Recent Examples of Synonyms for despondency

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

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

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

The cursed island town in Widow’s Bay has summoned all kinds of supernatural entities, much to the dismay of its residents.

— Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026
People in New York City looked up in shock and dismay; people everywhere else watched their favorite anchors on old-fashioned television sets and looked for updates on very rudimentary versions of news websites.

— Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of dismay

Noun

In the context of suicide, hopelessness can look like acceptance at the end.

— Wendy Murphy, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2026
These proposals, many times rooted in sympathy and love, were presented as alternatives to the political structures and market logic that had so often led to war, exploitation, hopelessness, and suffering.

— Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of hopelessness

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

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“Despondency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despondency. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of despondency

noun

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