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
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Recent Examples of despondency
That realization, though, is key to Stephen’s curdling idealism in the film, a moral collapse that Gosling gives urgency and despondency.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 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
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
See All Example Sentences for despondency
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 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
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
See All Example Sentences for despondency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despondency
Noun
-
The scene where Artax the horse gets stuck in the swamps of sadness?—
Redazione People,
Vanity Fair,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Family members said it’s been a long road of frustration, agony and sadness watching Hitchcock’s death sentences get overturned three times amid the nearly a dozen appeals his attorneys have filed over the decades.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The play charts his despair and hope, as well as his unlikely romance with a prison volunteer (Tessa Thompson).—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Denials, appeals and habeas corpus Juan and Donovan’s emotions swing wildly between hope and despair, depending on the day.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Shifting gears confidently into the second half of the season, this week’s episode has a more cohesive feel than the show has been able to manage so far, turning a series of interrelated crises into a Magnolia-esque montage of desperation from most of the major characters.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
3 May 2026
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But Nelson and other advocates say companies like these aren’t offering a real solution, but are taking advantage of tenants’ desperation.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
Noun
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The accident also caused other issues, including her short-term memory and balance, and led to a bout of depression.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
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Black people experience higher levels of early-life post-traumatic stress than white people and are more likely to suffer from chronic depression later in life.—
Jerel Ezell,
STAT,
1 May 2026
Noun
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To add to their dismay, there isn’t much technological difference between the Connect and the Port.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
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Outside state lines, the perception of The Big D aligns with the eponymous prime time soap opera saga, often mistaking the Stockyards as within city limits (much to neighboring Fort Worth’s dismay).—
Nathanael Gassett,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The other featured a comeback that saw hopelessness turn into jubilation.—
Peter Warren,
Houston Chronicle,
28 Mar. 2026
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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
Noun
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His reputation, as captured by obituaries in the Guardian and the Times of London, is one of genteel melancholy and precise social observation.—
Charlie Tyson,
Harpers Magazine,
21 Apr. 2026
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Still, the achievement carried a touch of melancholy for Lovell.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Unique is meant to embody that racial trauma, but Moore doesn’t possess the grit necessary to make the pain and sorrow resonate.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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The reader feels the moment’s vitality and presence, and the sorrow at its loss, but not because Ford insists on it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Despondency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despondency. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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