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
One half of Wembley was despondent and increasingly empty.
—
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
Most of his teammates had departed for the buses, leaving behind an empty, despondent locker room.
—Kelly Iko, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
James Austin Johnson played a despondent President Donald Trump, akin to Jason Isaacs' Timothy Ratliff, as Chloe Fineman took on Parker Posey's show accent to play Melania Trump.
—Jillian Sederholm, EW.com, 13 Apr. 2025
Does her despondent demeanor and null motivation make Elsa herself an ideal pick to surrender her life?
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despondent
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
Most of his teammates had departed for the buses, leaving behind an empty, despondent locker room.
—Kelly Iko, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
James Austin Johnson played a despondent President Donald Trump, akin to Jason Isaacs' Timothy Ratliff, as Chloe Fineman took on Parker Posey's show accent to play Melania Trump.
—Jillian Sederholm, EW.com, 13 Apr. 2025
Does her despondent demeanor and null motivation make Elsa herself an ideal pick to surrender her life?
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despondent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despondent
Adjective
-
In this story, the baby was in desperate need of nourishment, so the mother ran between two hills seven times to try to procure water for the baby.—
Monica Haider,
CNN Money,
6 June 2025
-
Racing is in desperate need of stars and the chase for the Triple Crown is one way of getting them.—
John Cherwa,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
The results: enrollees had less financial stress and were less likely to be depressed, but there was no difference in their physical health.—
John C. Goodman,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
-
Even at a time when film and TV production in Southern California is depressed, A-listers want to spend their time between takes in plush surroundings.—
William Earl,
Variety,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
All seemed hopeless for Moore and Mansell, until, out of the blue, a lawyer with the Office of the White House Counsel contacted Moore’s defense lawyers, Seitles and Litwin-Diego, in April to inquire about the case.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2025
-
The longtime psych-rock staple co-wrote the album with filmmaker Matt Yoka to be a collection of American stories about hopeless kleptomaniacs, urban explorers, and other people who slip through the cracks.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Additionally, the more fiscally conservative Senate is increasingly unhappy with the cost of the bill, which is estimated to add $3.1 trillion to the deficit over the next decade.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
Four of its main characters are in unhappy marriages and cheating on their spouses, which is sometimes awkwardly played for laughs.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Banks: There’s a reason why the theater [symbol] is a happy face/sad face.—
Lorraine Ali,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
-
To some, this may sound bizarre, laughable, or even just plain sad.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 June 2025
Adjective
-
The second track on the LP told the story of a heartbroken barmaid pining after a sailor who refused to give up his nomadically maritime lifestyle for her.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
-
Courtesy of Lionsgate The heartbroken little girl with the ballerina music box will grow up to be Ana de Armas’ Eve Macarro, a young woman bent on—what else?—avenging her father’s murder.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
The film necessarily presents a despairing view of America as its 20th-century glory days recede into the distance, but Schrader isn’t one to shirk away from some form of hope for his isolated priest.—
Vikram Murthi,
Vulture,
21 Jan. 2025
-
These lines represent Elisabeth at her most despairing.—
Elizabeth Djinis,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The day started again, but a second voice joined the miserable monologue, pushing me to plant beets instead of flowers.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
8 June 2025
-
The win vaulted Miami from sixth to third in MLS standings and felt like a turning point— not just a singular game, but a season statement after a miserable May.—
Kaitlyn Pohly,
Miami Herald,
1 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Despondent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despondent. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share