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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

  1. loss of hope
  2. a person or thing causing despair

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

despair Synonyms

despair

n.

hopelessness, despondency, discouragement; see depression 2, desperation 1, gloom 2.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

despair Usage Examples

Object

  • dive: Steve Brooker shot on the turn, the ball eluding Price's despairing dive.

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.

Preposition: at

  • lack: Do you despair at the lack of true indie labels in the UK at the moment?

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.

Modifies a noun

  • squid: Discovering this was caused by the ink of a despair squid, they return to Starbug.

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.
despair usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

despair quotes

More than at any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads.One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly.

-Allen,Woody pseudonym of  Allen Stewart Konigsberg

Because thou must not dream, thou needst not then despair!

-Arnold, Matthew

Il faut travailler sinon par go u" t, au moins par de¤  sespoir, puisque, tout bien ve¤  rifie¤  , travailler est moins ennuyeux que s'amuser. We should work: if not by preference, at least out of despair. All things considered, work is less boring than amusement.

-Baudelaire, Charles

despair quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"despair." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/despair>

APA Style

despair. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/despair

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