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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 news of his death was met with shock and sadness from fans, players and fellow broadcasters around the NBA.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
7 June 2026
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But sadness also, along with regret, surrounding Arguijo-Mejia.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
6 June 2026
Noun
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Those raw emotions and moments of shared experience, which can be so hard to find in a fractured society, will be replicated all over the world in the coming weeks, bring families, communities and entire nations together, uniting them in hope, joy and, of course, despair.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
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On the other side of the couch, Kyle sits staring at them both, alternating between anger and grief, and although Andy didn’t spend much time trying to peel back the layers of Kyle’s despair, his aimlessness is as much at the heart of this season as anything Amanda and West did.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
For me, the art was a distraction, an effort to generate excitement and sell extra tickets — something that the garden, which is attracting large numbers of visitors lately, no longer needs to do with such desperation.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
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This is a strategy born not of manly strength, but of submissive desperation.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
Noun
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Most of the everyday usage of popular LLMs to get mental health advice usually involves people with relatively common cognitive issues, such as depression, anxiety, and the like.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
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Her group provides services through Zoom and Google Meet to more than 7,000 adults and children coping with stressors such as cancer and chronic pain, as well as with anxiety, depression, and PTSD.—
Holly Dagres,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
Noun
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To the dismay of boaters and anglers, Bonny Reservoir, north of Burlington, was unplugged in 2012.—
Allen Best,
Denver Post,
14 June 2026
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Its design was chosen without a competitive, public selection process (to the dismay of many in Congress), and construction will be privately funded.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
That essay, written in 1940 — the same year Native Son was published — is suffused with profound hopelessness for what was indeed to come.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
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Like Makki, many grapple with guilt and hopelessness.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Noun
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Absent the lush melancholy of classic synth-pop, what Hervé and Amato had in common with their forbears was a spirit of innovation rooted in profound laziness.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
23 May 2026
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While the actors are committed, poignant and warm, their upbeat tone doesn’t always blend well with the melancholy of the picture.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Noun
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Should this come to pass, Kennedy and his allies will have succeeded in Making Microbes Great Again—to our swift and deepening sorrow.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the crash, paying tribute to the military personnel killed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Despondency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despondency. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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