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IELTS BNC: 4747 COCA: 5427

despair

1 of 2

noun

de·​spair di-ˈsper How to pronounce despair (audio)
1
: utter loss of hope
a cry of despair
gave up in despair
2
: a cause of hopelessness
an incorrigible child is the despair of his parents

despair

2 of 2

verb

despaired; despairing; despairs

intransitive verb

: to lose all hope or confidence
despair of winning

transitive verb

obsolete : to lose hope for
despairer noun

Synonyms

Noun

Verb

Example Sentences

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 See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Suddenly, the Moth is trapped in an existential despair. Conan O'brien, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2022 Siblings of Ashley Richardson told Marion Superior Judge Angela Davis that Richardson’s murder by Kendale Abel Jr. brought repercussions beyond despair. The Indianapolis Star, 13 Sep. 2022 But there was despair among congregants and clergy that the mission couldn’t be fully restored after the extensive damage from what was declared arson. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2022 That mood — of pain hanging in the air, of unvoiced despair — creates a kind of signifying art atmosphere of authenticity. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Sep. 2022 This comes at a time when despair about the industry’s future is the highest nationwide since 2008, the peak year of the Great Recession, according to a separate report released this summer by the National Restaurant Association. Susan Dunne, Hartford Courant, 4 Sep. 2022 But there’s no reason to despair if your furry best friend is showing signs of canine cognitive decline, or CCD, said veterinarian Dr. Dana Varble, chief veterinary officer for the North American Veterinary Community. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 26 Aug. 2022 Whitlock expressed little interest in such a moniker, perhaps for the best, given the inescapable despair in Eugene O’Neill’s play. Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Aug. 2022 This is the novel’s cure for white despair over the loss of whiteness: Keep calm and carry on. Namwali Serpell, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2022
Verb
Well, New Yorkers will hopefully have to despair for only a little bit longer: The restaurant has drawn interest from a number of buyers, and hopefully the city will act quickly to fill the space. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 15 Aug. 2022 If a buyer is not in a financial position to fund the equity investment to the deal (the down payment), do not despair or give up. Richard Parker, Forbes, 10 July 2022 There are as many reading appetites as there are readers, so if your favorite book of 2022 doesn't make our list, don't despair. Lizz Schumer, Good Housekeeping, 24 May 2022 Over the next week and a half, the Widderses rode an emotional roller coaster, elated by seeming improvements, only to despair over indicators of the severe damage to their daughter’s liver. Lena H. Sun, Washington Post, 17 May 2022 This purchase behavior targeting presents as one of many reasons not to despair in digital marketing this year. Anil Malhotra, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2022 But do not despair: There may be an affordable studio oasis in your future. New York Times, 6 Jan. 2022 So don't despair if Champagne is hard to come by this year. Jeanne O'brien Coffey, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2021 Do not despair of the computer generation’s zeal for nature, our essayist argues. Robert Klose, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Oct. 2021 See More

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English despeir, despair, borrowed from Anglo-French despeir, despoir, noun derivative of desperer (tonic stem despeir-) "to lose hope or confidence, despair entry 2"

Verb

Middle English despeiren, despairen, dispairen "to lose hope or confidence, be discouraged," borrowed from Anglo-French despeir-, tonic stem of desperer, going back to Latin dēspērāre "to give up as hopeless, despair of," from dē- de- + spērāre "to look forward to, hope for, hope (that)," verbal derivative of *spēs-, presumed alternate stem of spēs, spem "hope, expectation" perhaps by analogy with vīr-, vīs "strength, force" — more at speed entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of despair was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing despair

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