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Definition of despairingly

despairingly

/dɪˈspɛr.ɪŋ.li/
de · spair · ing · ly
Adjective:despairing
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despairingly Lexical Profile

despairingly Game Scores & Validity

• adverb

1

In a manner that shows or expresses a complete loss of hope.

Example

"She looked despairingly at the pile of unanswered letters on her desk."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Rhymes for despairingly

• Nearby Words

desoto falls
despair
despairing
despairingly
desperado
desperate
desperately

Word Origin & Etymology

Formed from the participial adjective despairing and the suffix -ly; despair derives from Old French desperer, from Latin desperare ('to lose hope'), combining de- ('down from, away') and sperare ('to hope').

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Despairingly. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/despairingly
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