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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in depressed
feeling unhappiness
feeling despondent over the death of another close friend
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of despondent
Feeling despondent, with little hope for the future or enjoyment of the present?
—
Danielle Marie Holland, Parents, 29 Dec. 2025
In 2025, despondent and angry Democrats wanted to hear from likeminded pundits who wouldn’t feign politeness or objectivity.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
Yes, but Fox News reports it anyway, Trump celebrates, and a despondent Satan packs his stuff up to leave the White House.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
But there's no debate that the referendum generated a lot of excitement among despondent Missouri Democrats who suffered through yet another bad election cycle in 2024.
—Jason Rosenbaum, NPR, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despondent
Danielle Marie Holland, Parents, 29 Dec. 2025
In 2025, despondent and angry Democrats wanted to hear from likeminded pundits who wouldn’t feign politeness or objectivity.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
Yes, but Fox News reports it anyway, Trump celebrates, and a despondent Satan packs his stuff up to leave the White House.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
But there's no debate that the referendum generated a lot of excitement among despondent Missouri Democrats who suffered through yet another bad election cycle in 2024.
—Jason Rosenbaum, NPR, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despondent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despondent
Adjective
-
The prolonged freeze left some residents increasingly desperate in a region unaccustomed to such conditions.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Reality shows already showcase a dozen desperate people struggling against the elements and each other.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
For someone already feeling lonely, depressed or emotionally overwhelmed, turning to AI for connection can backfire.—
Brianna Hardcastle,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Feb. 2026
-
As Maneesh, the doe-eyed Disney Channel alum Karan Brar exudes depressed decency but never quite taps into the messy turmoil that might complicate the coder’s choices.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Near the end of the movie, there’s a heavy sense of dread—everyone feels hopeless, and exhausted.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Here is the regular guy who loves shooting hoops, who is hopeless with a hammer, who loves a self-deprecating story about walking into a glass wall or almost falling off a ladder, and whose wife, Lori, is always, always right.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Domingo Morel, a professor at New York University who studies state takeovers of local schools, said most local residents wind up unhappy with the methods used by state interventionists and the results.—
Bri Hatch,
Chalkbeat,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Audrey, the single and childless and PhD-less product of a stable but unhappy home, has fallen short of the life planned out for her by her parents.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The same sad and sinister menace occupying 1600 Penn.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Of course, after a while the thrill of getting caught fades, and sneaking around becomes deeply sad rather than sexy.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Though heartbroken, Punsalan and Swallow decided to compete at Lillehammer anyway.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
3 Feb. 2026
-
An internal exam performed by her doctor indicated signs of a miscarriage at just five weeks, leaving her and her husband heartbroken.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Some of Tarr’s most memorable scenes feature landscapes, often bleak and despairing settings of decaying Hungarian towns, punctuated with close-ups of characters’ faces.—
John Penner,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
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In the current political climate, the girl is despairing.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
23 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
In those years, a miserable and extensive roster of racially inflected deaths, from the Central Park jogger and the Exonerated Five to so many more, dominated local news programs and the tabloids, especially Rupert Murdoch’s Post.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
1 Feb. 2026
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Even 54 games into this miserable campaign, there’s yet to be even an attempt at a course-correcting move.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Despondent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despondent. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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