despair
despair Lexical Profile
despair Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The complete loss or absence of hope, accompanied by a profound feeling of powerlessness and dejection.
"A sense of deep despair settled over the farming community after the third consecutive year of severe drought."
A person, situation, or thing that causes complete hopelessness or extreme frustration.
"The chronic traffic congestion had long been the despair of city planners and daily commuters alike."
• verb
To lose all hope or confidence, or to be overcome by a sense of futility (often followed by 'of').
"Even during the most difficult phases of the research project, the scientists refused to despair of finding a viable solution."
• Rhymes for despair
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 14th century from Anglo-French despirer and Old French desperer, derived from Latin desperare ('to lose all hope'), a compound of de- (expressing reversal) and sperare ('to hope').