SELF-DESPAIR Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

self-despair

noun

Definition of self-despair

as in sorrow

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-despair

Noun

The clouds begin to part The clouds of grief and sorrow that had enveloped Gounder with the approach of the World Cup were dispersed by the bright orange sun of a New York Knicks championship, the team’s first in 53 years.

— PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2026
From shabby apartments to art experiments to filthy needles—with echoes of Patti Smith and Rebecca Makkai—Adler conjures an era of sorrow borne by too many, too young.

— Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026

Definition of sorrow

Noun

The girls spend the day together — Laura has made an entire treasure hunt to celebrate Good Eagle’s birthday — and while there are moments of joy, there’s a lot of sadness weighing down on their tiny shoulders, too.

— Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his sadness over the recent deaths in the country’s south.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 10 July 2026

Definition of sadness

Noun

Lee learned much about the systemic oppression that Black Americans faced from his first student, Jesse Glover, who had been a victim of police brutality.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Throughout the speech, the socialist mayor argued that the United States has been defined by generations of immigrants and other groups overcoming oppression while casting today’s political and economic leaders as forces working against that legacy.

— Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 3 July 2026

Definition of oppression

Noun

Detainees had little access to recreational activities and time outside, which mental health experts say exacerbates their despair.

— Perla Trevizo, ProPublica, 3 July 2026
Whether the episode amounted to anything beyond hearsay amid the ubiquitous sense of mass confusion and despair remains a question mark.

— Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026

Definition of despair

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“Self-despair.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-despair. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of self-despair

noun

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