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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in depressed

feeling unhappiness feeling despondent over the death of another close friend

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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 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 This is patient, observant storytelling, with brilliant casting choices (casting director Nina Gold) and performances that speak volumes about how the characters have changed over the decades — the jump from a buoyant Toheeb Jimoh to a despondent David Oyelowo is particularly heartbreaking. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for despondent

Recent Examples of Synonyms for despondent

Adjective

Namely stage 13 when the race split into pieces, Tom Pidcock climbed back up the GC, Pedersen had to make a desperate attempt to reach Philipsen up the road to defend green, and the excellent Mauro Schmid got the victory his talent deserves.

— Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 27 July 2026
The narrative chronicles the desperate struggle for survival in a secluded harbor town after residents discover a mysterious alien entity on their outskirts.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 July 2026

Definition of desperate

Adjective

The rest were overseas — many of them belonging to impoverished locals living in conflict zones or economically depressed regions where other employment options are scarce.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
The adviser told me that, even without drastically expanding the budget or upending the financial markets, Burnham could borrow a bit more to finance public-infrastructure investments and channel money to depressed regions.

— John Cassidy, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

Definition of depressed

Adjective

Echoing her sentiments, Shaharier remembered feeling hopeless when his baby boy was born so early.

— Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026
Indeed, Russia’s mass barrages last winter of Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure – designed to keep Ukrainians cold, in the dark, and hopeless during the most frigid winter of recent years – are now being answered by Ukraine.

— Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 28 July 2026

Definition of hopeless

Adjective

The families of these men and women grieving, heartbroken, yet filled with pride.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 July 2026
Nearly everything Irene does here is monstrous, and yet Corsini never stops encouraging viewers to search for the heartbroken woman suddenly obscured by a wild avatar of self-protection.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 24 July 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

Madrid’s World Cup players gradually began to return as their countries’ campaigns came to an end, including Federico Valverde after Uruguay’s miserable group-stage exit.

— Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 24 July 2026
George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb will make life miserable for opposing secondaries.

— Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of miserable

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“Despondent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despondent. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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