DESPONDENT Synonyms: 175 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'despondent' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of despondent are despairing , desperate , and hopeless . While all these words mean "having lost all or nearly all hope," despondent implies a deep dejection arising from a conviction of the uselessness of further effort. // despondent about yet another rejection

Q: Where would 'despairing' be a reasonable alternative to 'despondent'?

The words despairing and despondent can be used in similar contexts, but despairing suggests the slipping away of all hope and often despondency. // despairing appeals for the return of the kidnapped child

Q: When would 'desperate' be a good substitute for 'despondent'?

The synonyms desperate and despondent are sometimes interchangeable, but desperate implies despair that prompts reckless action or violence in the face of defeat or frustration. // one last desperate attempt to turn the tide of battle

Q: In what contexts can 'hopeless' take the place of 'despondent'?

While in some cases nearly identical to despondent , hopeless suggests despair and the cessation of effort or resistance and often implies acceptance or resignation. // the situation of the trapped miners is hopeless

despondent

adjective

di-ˈspän-dənt

Definition of despondent

as in desperate

feeling or showing no hope after four days and still no word that the missing plane had been located, the relatives were despondent

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in depressed

feeling unhappiness feeling despondent over the death of another close friend

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective despondent differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of despondent are despairing, desperate, and hopeless. While all these words mean "having lost all or nearly all hope," despondent implies a deep dejection arising from a conviction of the uselessness of further effort.

despondent about yet another rejection

Where would despairing be a reasonable alternative to despondent?

The words despairing and despondent can be used in similar contexts, but despairing suggests the slipping away of all hope and often despondency.

despairing appeals for the return of the kidnapped child

When would desperate be a good substitute for despondent?

The synonyms desperate and despondent are sometimes interchangeable, but desperate implies despair that prompts reckless action or violence in the face of defeat or frustration.

one last desperate attempt to turn the tide of battle

In what contexts can hopeless take the place of despondent?

While in some cases nearly identical to despondent, hopeless suggests despair and the cessation of effort or resistance and often implies acceptance or resignation.

the situation of the trapped miners is hopeless

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 despondent Feeling despondent, with little hope for the future or enjoyment of the present? — Danielle Marie Holland, Parents, 6 June 2026 People might become despondent that AI is ultimately going to be our end. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026 Even loyalists complain about the mounting restrictions and repression, and once-upbeat businesspeople are now despondent. — Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026 At 11, despondent over the course of her young life, Cox attempted suicide by swallowing all of her mother’s pills. — Lizzie Hyman, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for despondent

Recent Examples of Synonyms for despondent

Adjective

Meanwhile, investigators continue to run lab analyses on DNA found at her home as the desperate search for Guthrie continues.

— Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
The kitchen is the AI-buildout sector, desperate to turn some $2 trillion into vast reserves of computing capacity by the end of next year.

— Michael Santoli, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of desperate

Adjective

Traffic through the strait is beginning to increase, but remains sharply depressed.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Bessent, for one, said a key reason he got involved in politics was to help tackle deficits running at a pace unprecedented for times outside of major wars, pandemics or depressed job markets.

— Bloomberg, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of depressed

Adjective

This latest attempt to move, a hopeless punt to have his contract annulled in order to leave on a free sooner, will likely see anger return at Selhurst Park on Friday night against Manchester City.

— Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Ever the hopeless romantic, Ted searches for the love of his life through a constant series of twists, turns, diversions, blue French horns, slap bets, and yellow umbrellas.

— Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of hopeless

Adjective

Garcia and fellow Democrats are mindful of what’s driving unhappy voters who face a vexing mix of inflation and weak economic growth.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Sometimes kids performing things on TV look unhappy or awkward, but this girl seems to genuinely enjoy singing while her dad plays guitar.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of unhappy

Adjective

That might also explain the movie’s attempts to supercharge its few action sequences, as if the filmmakers realized belatedly that a sad book without much incident wasn’t exactly prime summer studio release fodder.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
Obviously, a really sad story and hard to listen to at times.

— Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of sad

Adjective

The mysterious death of a missing New York City grandmother whose body was found in a drainage ditch outside a Las Vegas airport has left her family with more questions than answers, heartbroken relatives said Saturday.

— Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 22 Aug. 2026
Shuter also revealed that Ragland is heartbroken at the thought of her daughter being so far away.

— Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of heartbroken

Adjective

Smashed with the instep of Mbappe’s right foot, the ball arced viciously into the top-right corner, beyond Bounou’s despairing dive.

— Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 9 July 2026
After 25 years, you'd be forgiven for thinking — despairing, really — that the formula for a perfect Scary Movie has been forgotten.

— Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026

Definition of despairing

Adjective

That two-run swing merely offset the shortstop’s second consecutive game with an error, however, in what’s been a miserable defensive season.

— Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
These findings align with consumer confidence data from the Conference Board, which found earlier this month that baby boomers and Gen Xers are far more miserable about the economy than younger generations.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of miserable

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“Despondent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despondent. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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