1
a
: utter loss of hope
a cry of despair
finally gave up in despair
b
: great unhappiness or disappointment
—often used in the phrase (much) to the despair of
The team blew a commanding lead, much to the despair of the fans.
2
: a cause of hopelessness
He was the despair of his parents.
despaired; despairing; despairs
: to lose all hope or confidence
It'll turn out all right. Don't despair.
We began to despair of ever winning.
obsolete
: to lose hope for
despairer
noun
Examples of despair in a Sentence
Noun
On the occasion of Johnson's tercentenary, Martin (A Life of James Boswell) searches out the psychological elements covered up by Boswell and others: the immense insecurities, bouts of deep depression, corrosive self-doubt and, in his last days, despair for his very soul.
—
Publishers Weekly, 21 July 2008
Players who'd been on the 2004 Olympic team joked about whether their two bronze medals equaled one silver. There was none of the despair or finger-pointing that followed the world championships in '02, when Team USA finished sixth.
—Kelly Anderson, Sports Illustrated, 11 Sept. 2006
The people who try to save endangered species in Hawaii are immune to despair. They have to be, to keep doing what they do.
—Lawrence Downes, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2004
His despair nearly drove him mad.
I was overcome by despair at being unable to find them.
She finally gave up in despair.
The people were driven to despair by the horrors of war.
This latest setback has brought her to the depths of despair.
Verb
It is possible that at this stage Caesar had not altogether despaired of a consensual solution to the difficulties facing the Republic.
—Anthony Everitt, Cicero, (2001) 2003
Sometimes it is hard not to despair about relations between men and women in American society. They seem to have hit rock bottom.
—Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn, New Republic, 6 May 2002
Yet, until very recently, Alzheimer's was so poorly understood that scientists despaired of finding a treatment, much less a cure.
—Ken Garber, Technology, March 2001
Things look bad now, but don't despair.
we despaired when we saw how little time we had left to complete our project
Publishers Weekly, 21 July 2008
Players who'd been on the 2004 Olympic team joked about whether their two bronze medals equaled one silver. There was none of the despair or finger-pointing that followed the world championships in '02, when Team USA finished sixth.
—Kelly Anderson, Sports Illustrated, 11 Sept. 2006
The people who try to save endangered species in Hawaii are immune to despair. They have to be, to keep doing what they do.
—Lawrence Downes, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2004
His despair nearly drove him mad.
I was overcome by despair at being unable to find them.
She finally gave up in despair.
The people were driven to despair by the horrors of war.
This latest setback has brought her to the depths of despair.
Verb
It is possible that at this stage Caesar had not altogether despaired of a consensual solution to the difficulties facing the Republic.
—Anthony Everitt, Cicero, (2001) 2003
Sometimes it is hard not to despair about relations between men and women in American society. They seem to have hit rock bottom.
—Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn, New Republic, 6 May 2002
Yet, until very recently, Alzheimer's was so poorly understood that scientists despaired of finding a treatment, much less a cure.
—Ken Garber, Technology, March 2001
Things look bad now, but don't despair.
we despaired when we saw how little time we had left to complete our project
Recent Examples on the Web
Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Ritter plays Claire, a struggling single mother battling addiction, as a malevolent creature that feeds on despair begins to terrorize her and her two sons.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2025
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
But fans who miss out on these dates shouldn’t despair: Manilow’s website has tickets available to shows at his residency at the International Theatre at Westgate Las Vegas through December 2026.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despair
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Noun
And so our friendship was born, and grew from there over weeks and then months of talking about authorial voice, the politics of publishing, the crushing despair of our historical moment, and how long should a chapter be, anyway?
—Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Ritter plays Claire, a struggling single mother battling addiction, as a malevolent creature that feeds on despair begins to terrorize her and her two sons.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
The news of her 23-year-old son’s execution shocked and despaired the world.
—Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
But fans who miss out on these dates shouldn’t despair: Manilow’s website has tickets available to shows at his residency at the International Theatre at Westgate Las Vegas through December 2026.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despair
Cite this Entry
“Despair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/despair. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
despair
1 of 2 verb
de·spair
di-ˈspa(ə)r 
-ˈspe(ə)r
: to lose all hope or confidence
despair of winning
despair
2 of 2 noun1
: utter loss of hope : feeling of complete hopelessness
2
: a cause of hopelessness
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