despair
English · Thesaurus
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despair
- /dɪˈspɛə(ɹ)/ UK
- /dɪˈspɛɚ/ Canada, US
- /dɪˈspeː(ɹ)/ Australia
Sounds like (weak vowel merger) dispair · Rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From Middle English dispeir, from Anglo-Norman despeir and Old French desperer (from Latin dēspērō, dēspērāre), or desesperer, from des- (“dis-”) + esperer (“hope”). See also desperate. Displaced native Old English ormōdnes (“despair”) and Old English ortrīewan (“to despair”).
verb despairs · despairing · despaired
- To give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of. I would not despair the greatest design that could be attempted.
- To cause to despair. Thinking of what I was despairing about despaired me further
- To be hopeless; to have no hope; to give up all hope or expectation. We despaired even of life.
noun despairs
-
Loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency.
He turned around in despair, aware that he was not going to survive.
Similar: desperation, despondency, hopelessness, despair, despond, unhope, wanhope · Opposite: hope, respair
- That which causes despair.
- That which is despaired of.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: desperation, wanhope, despondency, hopelessness, misery, dismay, disillusionment, disappointment, plight, heartbreak, desperate, misfortune, anguish, distress, frustration, gloom
Translations
Every language
verb to despair of
| 日本語 | 絶望する zetsubō suru, 諦める akirameru |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 絕望 /绝望 juéwàng |
| Português | desesperar-se |
| Français | désespérer |
| Deutsch | verzweifeln |
| Italiano | disperare |
| Română | despera |
| Русский | отча́иваться otčáivatʹsja, отча́яться otčájatʹsja |
| עברית | התייאש hitya'ésh |
verb to cause to despair
| Español | desesperanzar |
|---|---|
| Português | desesperar |
| Deutsch | zur Verzweiflung bringen |
| עברית | ייאש ye'ésh |
verb to be hopeless
| Español | desesperanzarse, desesperarse |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | kukata tamaa |
| Português | desesperar-se |
| Français | désespérer |
| Deutsch | verzweifeln, die Hoffnung aufgeben |
| Italiano | disperare |
| Ελληνικά | απελπίζομαι apelpízomai |
| Română | despera |
| العربية | يَئِسَ yaʔisa |
noun loss of hope
| Español | desespero |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 절망 jeolmang |
| 日本語 | 絶望 zetsubō, 失望 shitsubō |
| 中文 | 絕望 /绝望 juéwàng |
| हिन्दी | निराशा nirāśā, मायूसी māyūsī |
| Português | desespero |
| Français | désespoir |
| Deutsch | Verzweiflung, Hoffnungslosigkeit |
| Italiano | disperazione |
| Ελληνικά | απελπισία apelpisía |
| Română | desperare |
| Русский | отча́яние otčájanije, безнадёжность beznadjóžnostʹ, тлен tlen |
| Tiếng Việt | sự tuyệt vọng |
| العربية | يَأْس yaʔs |
| עברית | יֵאוּשׁ \ ייאוש ye'ush |
Talk about this word "despair." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/despair. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. despair. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/despair "despair." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/despair.Cite this
@misc{despair_2026,
title = {despair},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/despair},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
