despair Definition
de·spair (di sper′)
intransitive verb
to lose hope; be without hope: usually with of
Etymology: ME despeiren < OFr desperer < L desperare, to be without hope < de-, without + sperare, to hope < spes, hope < IE base *spēi, to prosper, expand: see speed
transitive verb
Archaic to give up hope of
noun
- loss of hope
- a person or thing causing despair
despair Synonyms
despair Usage Examples
Object
- dive: Steve Brooker shot on the turn, the ball eluding Price's despairing dive.
- cry: With a despairing cry I pitched over backward into the night sky.
- thought: Too often the first despairing thought is, " Who will want me now?
Converse of object
- alleviate: Samaritans believes that offering people the opportunity to be listened to in confidence and accepted without prejudice, can alleviate despair and suicidal feelings.
- do: Don't despair, Your Choice Media has a solution to your needs.
- feel: Can he look up at its colossal evil without once feeling despair?
Preposition: at
- lack: Do you despair at the lack of true indie labels in the UK at the moment?
- thought: Eric, and his wife Anne, became quite despairing at the thought of this.
Preposition: into
hope: I had seen and talked with people who make everything from nothing and turn despair into hope.
Adjective modifier
- utter: In fact they were experiencing a complete range of unseen emotions from hysteria, through delight to utter despair.
- don't: Well, don't despair, help is at hand and we're not talking about microwave meals.
- hopeless: This left them in a state of hopeless despair in which they desired to know of Peter what they should do.
- deep: Alan: Can I offer you my deep, deep despair, on this very bad day.
- absolute: Alvaro then sees that it is Leonora and, in absolute despair, throws himself off a nearby cliff.
- quiet: In fact I now look at them in quiet despair.
Modifies a noun
- squid: Discovering this was caused by the ink of a despair squid, they return to Starbug.
- poster: Guaranteed to blow the wind out of your sails, Despair Posters are ideal for bitter and twisted cynics everywhere... .
Modifying Another Word
almost: But all his endeavors were in vain, and he at length almost despaired of finding her again.
Noun used with modifier
I: Now, when I look around and listen to humanity driven news, I despair, I really do.
Browse dictionary entries near despair
- ‹ desorb
- ‹ desolation
- ‹ desolate
- ‹ Desmoulins
- ‹ desmosome
- ‹ desmoid
- ‹ desmid
- ‹ desman
- ‹ desktop publishing
- ‹ desktop
- despair of ›
- despairing ›
- despatch ›
- desperado ›
- desperate ›
- desperately ›
- desperation ›
- despicable ›
- despise ›
- despite ›

