1
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in depressed
feeling unhappiness
feeling despondent over the death of another close friend
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Malec does not have to worry about Bauer getting too excited when everything is going right or Bauer becoming despondent in tough times.
—
Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 29 May 2025
Come day’s end, less than 48 hours removed from that Friday 64, following a week of extremes, Homa stood despondent, sounding like a man ready to walk away from it all.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 21 May 2025
During the game, Rudd went viral for his increasingly despondent reaction to the one-sided matchup, which the Philadelphia Eagles handily won, 40-22
At one point, the star, seated next to his 19-year-old son Jack, leaned over in his red Chiefs jacket with his hand on his chin.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 11 Mar. 2025
Carey is despondent and gets out of the car, walking all the way to Julie and Paul’s through swampy water as the titles play over Dabney Morris and David Wingo’s jaunty score.
—Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for despondent
Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 29 May 2025
Come day’s end, less than 48 hours removed from that Friday 64, following a week of extremes, Homa stood despondent, sounding like a man ready to walk away from it all.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 21 May 2025
During the game, Rudd went viral for his increasingly despondent reaction to the one-sided matchup, which the Philadelphia Eagles handily won, 40-22
At one point, the star, seated next to his 19-year-old son Jack, leaned over in his red Chiefs jacket with his hand on his chin.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 11 Mar. 2025
Carey is despondent and gets out of the car, walking all the way to Julie and Paul’s through swampy water as the titles play over Dabney Morris and David Wingo’s jaunty score.
—Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for despondent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despondent
Adjective
-
The leaders of both are desperate to find a ‘solution’ to the issue, in order to ward off the electoral challenges from right-wing parties such as Reform U.K. and France’s National Rally.—
Frey Lindsay,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
-
Both the Rig Hands and LA Riot are 1-1 this season, and will be desperate for a win to get over the .500 mark in this Big3 basketball season.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
Adjective
-
Nike reported fourth-quarter financial results that slightly topped depressed revenue and earnings-per-share estimates, but the full-year picture reflects the brand’s struggles, as 12-month revenue fell 10% to $46.3 billion.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
26 June 2025
-
What resonates most strongly is the film’s subtler or more emotional moments — the camera lingering on a man left holding a stick after his dog fails to come back from a swim or the scene where Brody’s son mimics his depressed father’s body language at the dinner table.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
Those who are convinced they’re trapped stay helpless and hopeless.—
Amy Morin,
CNBC,
12 June 2025
-
In a world where the powerful increasingly act with impunity, taking fictional villains to task makes sense, a form of Hollywood wish fulfillment for those who feel stuck or hopeless.—
Whitney Friedlander,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2025
Adjective
-
This gives the creditor an additional target to pursue and make very unhappy which can indirectly put pressure on the debtor to pay the judgment.—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
Circulation increased and the publication won two Pulitzer Prizes, but the owner, conservative Harry Guggenheim, was unhappy with the paper’s shift to the left, and he and Moyers were divided over the Vietnam War and the 1968 presidential election.—
Carmel Dagan,
Variety,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
Too much alcohol and your dreamy dessert turns into a sad, semi-frozen slush.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
All three movies are packed with dinosaurs—dinosaurs running, dinosaurs being sad and winsome, dinosaurs showing ruthless disregard for human life.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
And before long, his pig is stolen, leaving him heartbroken.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
-
Once the game is over, pink soldiers approach Yong-sik to shoot him and ensure that he’s eliminated, despite Geum-ja’s heartbroken pleas.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
The arc of the subject’s life is evoked through steadily darkening, tightening mood, with certain scenes and setups replicated to variously despairing effect, from tacitly shifting points of view.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
28 May 2025
-
That same investigation may find the veteran was despairing, had just gone through a divorce or something along those lines.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
As a result, couples may find themselves in a miserable situation.—
Mark Travers,
CNBC,
29 June 2025
-
According to a 2022 Gallup poll, 19% of employees are miserable at work, and 60% feel emotionally detached.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Despondent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despondent. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share