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
At what was supposed to be his final asylum hearing on March 20, Rodríguez Parra’s lawyer sounded despondent.
—
Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 18 July 2025
In May 2023, Kesha released Gag Order, a dark, despondent exploration of her trauma, with minimalist production from Rick Rubin and the image of the pop star with a blast bag over her head as its album artwork.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 3 July 2025
The prosecutors remained seated, subdued and by all appearances despondent.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 2 July 2025
Gillan’s Felicia, who is both a despondent nurse and a lonely divorcée, nicely illustrates why.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for despondent
Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 18 July 2025
In May 2023, Kesha released Gag Order, a dark, despondent exploration of her trauma, with minimalist production from Rick Rubin and the image of the pop star with a blast bag over her head as its album artwork.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 3 July 2025
The prosecutors remained seated, subdued and by all appearances despondent.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 2 July 2025
Gillan’s Felicia, who is both a despondent nurse and a lonely divorcée, nicely illustrates why.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for despondent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despondent
Adjective
-
Both teams are desperate to avoid an 0-2 start, and Johnson’s return adds another layer of intrigue to a sneaky-big early season matchup.—
Andy Scholes,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Muncy had played only a handful of games since early June, Edman had been out since early August, and Vesia returned to a bullpen in desperate need of a boost after a series of recent letdowns.—
Chad Jennings,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Because that’s the case, their actual margin opportunity is depressed.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
15 Sep. 2025
-
This might be because people are a bit depressed.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Nearly half of them reported feeling down, depressed or hopeless and experiencing sleep disturbances.—
Alexis Kayser,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The movie stars Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette in a story about a hopeless romantic who makes a wish that his long-time crush falls in love with him.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
My research team works hard to keep the email addresses up to date, but executives keep changing their addresses to avoid having to deal with unhappy customers.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
-
But few seemed to leave unhappy.—
Jonathan Hawkins,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This one is trickier and sadder to think about.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Composite image created by Newsweek shows two older people looking worried and a piggy bank with a sad face on its side.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
And utterly heartbroken for Charlie’s young family.—
Amanda Castro
Gabe Whisnant
Anna Commander
Toby Meyjes
Shane Croucher
John Feng
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The woman noted that canceling the shower has left her heartbroken.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Exhausted and despairing, many Palestinians had their own reasons for refusing to pack up and uproot themselves again.—
WAFAA SHURAFA,
Arkansas Online,
7 Sep. 2025
-
People are despairing over the Supreme Court and its deference to the president.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, Jeremiah is miserable, has nowhere to live, and is trying to find meaning through meaningless flings.—
Olivia Petter,
Vogue,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The Arizona Cardinals and head coach Jonathan Gannon made life miserable for Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young and head coach Dave Canales, from start to finish, Sunday at State Farm Stadium.—
DIAMOND VENCES,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Despondent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despondent. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share