despair

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“
In that first moment of horror her despair was aggravated above all by poignant remorse--the remorse of not having sufficiently cared for the poor child.

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Definitions (17)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (4)

  1. intransitive verb To lose all hope: despaired of reaching shore safely.
  2. intransitive verb To be overcome by a sense of futility or defeat.
  3. noun Complete loss of hope.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (7)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (3)

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Examples (50)

  • As day after day dragged its endless length along, and no relief came, my despair was a delirium of wretchedness. —  Fifteen Years in Hell
  • This despair is finally an adult despair, the sort that's almost crooned. —  Dallas Observer | Complete Issue
  • She gave a gesture which might have meant anything--despair, authority, pride, grief Edwin stood by the bedside and gazed. —  Clayhanger
  • They are dull in comparison with that delirious joy, the lot of the despairing lover on finding that his despair has been all a fancy, and that his passion is reciprocated Such a joy thrills through Hamersley's breast as he hears the name pronounced. —  The Lone Ranche
  • I feel that our hope lies in despair--despair of self. —  Letters to His Friends
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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

grief ·  terror ·  anger ·  sadness ·  distress ·  shame ·  dismay ·  joy ·  panic ·  disgust ·  dread

Used in the same contextWord Family

despair:   despairing ·  despaired ·  despairs
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English despeiren, from Old French desperer, from Latin dēspērāre : dē-, de- + spērāre, to hope; see spē- in Indo-European roots. N., from Middle English despeir, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French desperer, to despair.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. from Middle English despayren, despeyren, despeiren, from Old French desperer, desesperer, modern F. désespérer = Provencal Spanish Portuguese desesperar = Italian desperare, disperare, from Latin desperare, be without hope, from de- privative + sperare, hope, from spes, hope. Cf. desperate, disesperate, etc.
  2. from Middle English dispair, despeir, despeyre, also desespeire, desespeyre, from Old French desespeir, desespoir, French désespoir = Provencal desesper, despair; from the verb.
 

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/dɛsˈpɛr/
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