Definition of hopelessnext
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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective hopeless differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of hopeless are despairing, desperate, and despondent. While all these words mean "having lost all or nearly all hope," hopeless suggests despair and the cessation of effort or resistance and often implies acceptance or resignation.

the situation of the trapped miners is hopeless

When is despairing a more appropriate choice than hopeless?

The meanings of despairing and hopeless largely overlap; however, despairing suggests the slipping away of all hope and often despondency.

despairing appeals for the return of the kidnapped child

In what contexts can desperate take the place of hopeless?

While the synonyms desperate and hopeless are close in meaning, 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

When can despondent be used instead of hopeless?

While in some cases nearly identical to hopeless, despondent implies a deep dejection arising from a conviction of the uselessness of further effort.

despondent about yet another rejection

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 hopeless Released June 12, the 13-track album follows the Grammy winner’s SOUR and GUTS, marking a brand-new chapter in Rodrigo’s hopeless-romantic songwriting journey. Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026 Felicity Thoughtful, impulsive, hopeless romantic whose hair choices overshadowed everything. Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 9 June 2026 The impossible Padres are possible, hopeless — and weightless. Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 2026 At least Duncan’s daughter and fellow cadet, Teela (Eire Farrell), takes pity on the hopeless tyke. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for hopeless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hopeless
Adjective
  • Patients with incurable or irreversible conditions will no longer have to certify annually.
    Christopher Harris, CBS News, 29 June 2026
  • She had been diagnosed in 2006 — at age 46 — with late-stage follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which has long been deemed incurable.
    Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 29 June 2026
Adjective
  • Traditionally cynical and perceptive commentators—not to mention a lot of tired citizens—found themselves, in some accounts, overcome by an unexpected wave of patriotic sentimentality that washed away, at least for a moment, their gnawing doubts.
    Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
  • Heston is at his most gleefully cynical as Robert Thorn, a police detective who lives and works in a New York City decimated by environmental deterioration and dwindling resources.
    Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 23 June 2026
Adjective
  • Your energy, self-confidence and competitive spirit are impossible to ignore, making this a powerful time for personal reinvention.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
  • On Thursday, the University of Kentucky announced a new $1 million prize to anyone able to decipher a complete scroll, a feat the researchers once considered impossible, by June next year.
    Claudio Lavanga, NBC news, 26 June 2026
Adjective
  • Rescuers have been combing through the rubble of the hotel in a desperate attempt to save any survivors.
    Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 30 June 2026
  • The teen’s mother was so desperate for an update on her son’s health last year that his criminal defense attorney, Jerod Gunsberg, made an open plea in a Times article for probation officials to provide information.
    James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Adjective
  • His shot, low and hard and uncorked with minimal back-lift of his left foot, bounced through the gap between the despairing goalkeeper and his near post.
    Liam Twomey, New York Times, 17 June 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
Adjective
  • Day broke, bathing everything in light, and so great was the vitality of the early-morning sun that even the unhappy city seemed to smile a wan, sad smile.
    Vasily Grossman, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • But SpringHill really took off in 2020, two seasons into James’ Lakers term, when The SpringHill Company went public (and the Lakers won the sad COVID-bubble NBA Championship).
    Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 2026
Adjective
  • The survey is an indicator of companies foreseeing good conditions minus those feeling pessimistic.
    ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
  • Recent polls show majority of voters are pessimistic about the economy and a lasting peace deal with Iran.
    Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 25 June 2026
Adjective
  • The decade was an unhappy panorama of inflation, gas shortages, military humiliation, and revelations of political corruption.
    Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • On Tuesday, Paul urged Americans who are unhappy with the justices’ ruling to support his proposal.
    Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 30 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Hopeless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hopeless. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.

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