1
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
2
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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3
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
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Recent Examples of despondency
Much of the Shamblins’ lawsuit — echoing past claims of wrongdoing by families of users who were allegedly mistreated or supported in their bad acts by ChatGPT and other AI — traces his descent into despondency.
—
Adam Carlson, PEOPLE, 11 Nov. 2025
But, uh, do think like, uh, action is the, antidote to despondency.
—Outside Online, 1 Oct. 2025
But the open spaces between them express an urban despondency that’s hard to discount.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 9 Sep. 2025
This need not be a recipe for despondency.
—Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despondency
Adam Carlson, PEOPLE, 11 Nov. 2025
But, uh, do think like, uh, action is the, antidote to despondency.
—Outside Online, 1 Oct. 2025
But the open spaces between them express an urban despondency that’s hard to discount.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 9 Sep. 2025
This need not be a recipe for despondency.
—Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despondency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despondency
Noun
-
Still, along with the sadness, there’s ample speculation in the art world and on social media that the artist himself orchestrated this round of naming.—
Laurie Kellman,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
-
No sadness mars the purity of its paranoia.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The researchers also say that the intervention appeared to change the model’s internal activations (which might suggest the expressions indicate something akin to real emotions) and not just the expression of despair.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
24 Mar. 2026
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As is the band’s custom, the lyrics might evoke despair, but the furnace of hooks and harmonies suggests total emotional overload is its own kind of salvation.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The scariest reality may be that most defense innovation comes from desperation.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The mid-range ICBM that was shot off, these two missiles yesterday, that’s out of desperation, Kristen.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Teenagers with difficulty accessing their outpatient mental health care come to the ED in crisis, with intensifying depression or anxiety.—
Dr. Lauren Palladino,
Hartford Courant,
22 Mar. 2026
-
This can lead to anxiety and depression.—
Arthur C. Brooks
March 22,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
His comments come as those allies express new dismay over the energy escalation, which has already driven up prices in Europe, and have shown little desire to help unblock the Strait of Hormuz.—
Raf Sanchez,
NBC news,
19 Mar. 2026
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Columbia University's Naftali said the consensus that developed in that era against assassinations was a product of several things, including public dismay over the imperial presidency in the wake of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal.—
Ryan Lucas,
NPR,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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For her and many other Iranians who spoke to CNN – their surnames withheld to protect their identities – the past three weeks have been filled with a sense of hopelessness and fear.—
Leila Gharagozlou,
CNN Money,
20 Mar. 2026
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Depression and hopelessness are at their highest ever measured.—
Ariel David,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The film’s empathetic interest in individual, often eccentric human lives gives it a warmth that overrides the underlying melancholy of the material, making for a pleasingly unsentimental crowdpleaser.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
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Some acknowledged the possibility that melancholy could be inherited.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Indeed, in Iran the slaughter of protesters by the Iranian Republican guards filled me with sorrow and outrage.—
Dr. Michael Good,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2026
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As the communities in Maui continue to rebuild their homes and their lives two years after the wildfires killed 102 people, the flooding added to the sorrow.—
Matt Gutman,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Despondency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despondency. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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