despondency

noun

di-ˈspän-dən-sē How to pronounce despondency (audio)
Definition of despondencynext
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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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

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
  1. sadness
  2. despair
  3. desperation
  4. depression
  5. dismay
  6. hopelessness
  7. melancholy
  8. sorrow
Noun
  • Through such simple but evocative images, Zhang creates a whole world of suspicion and sadness.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Throughout, there’s a lingering sadness, which is properly explored in a superb episode made up of a trifecta of flashbacks, and his dour constitution still pairs perfectly with Helen’s reassuring nature.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • What really sets Black Doves apart, though, are its lovable characters and its beguiling mix of laughs and tears, which flirt with existential despair without ever fully tipping into it.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The throngs of freedmen and women only compounded white Georgians’ despair.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of despair
Noun
  • But across this wolf may cry, her breathy delivery becomes so uniform that longing, frustration, and romantic desperation frequently sound indistinguishable.
    — Precious Fondren, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Our community is dying; there’s an underlying sense of desperation, grief and pride that can both protect and suffocate out of a need to survive – this film is ultimately a love letter to us, with a sense of knowing.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of desperation
Noun
  • It’s found to result in improved coping, increased mental clarity, better emotion regulation, reduced depression, and ironically less loneliness.
    — Cheryl Fenton, Flow Space, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Anxiety and depression are common symptoms of the condition that intensify in the days leading up to a woman’s period.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of depression
Noun
  • His latest assignment is to cheer up young siblings Gabby (Xochitl Gomez, The Baby-Sitters Club) and Sebastian (Tiago Martinez), whose single mother (an underused America Ferrera) has just moved the family to a new town, much to their dismay.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Fans, including many who had traveled out of state for the event, took to the comments to share their dismay over the announcement.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of dismay
Noun
  • These were long, agonizing deaths marked by intolerable pain and hopelessness.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Symptoms can be similar to depression, and can include persistent feelings of hopelessness or pessimism and difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of hopelessness
Noun
  • The vestiges of his fading memory flash by with a haunting plainness, the melancholy of all this Americana and the sadness of a mind ravaged by time strike the viewer plainly at the end of this maximalist piece of life-writing.
    — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The question for me is whether or not Lloyd will also manage to capture the melancholy of a deceptively serious play, notwithstanding its reputation.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of melancholy
Noun
  • And Saturday, with the game temporarily relocated to Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Gators couldn’t even drown their sorrows in the usual Jacksonville sunshine.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the deaths and called for a prompt, transparent investigation to determine the cause, according to a statement from his office.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of sorrow

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Cite this Entry

“Despondency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despondency. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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