Synonyms for despair
dɪˈspɛərde·spair

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. despairnoun

   Synonyms:
   desperation, hopelessness, despondency

2. despairnoun

   To give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of.

   He turned around in despair, aware that he was not going to survive

   Synonyms:
   hopelessness, desperation, despondency

3. despairverb

   To cause to despair.

   Synonyms:
   despondency, desperation, hopelessness

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.0 / 3 votes

1. despair

   Discouragement is the result of so much repulse or failure as wears out courage. Discouragements too frequent and long continued may produce a settled hopelessness. Hopelessness is negative, and may result from simple apathy; despondency and despair are more emphatic and decided. Despondency is an incapacity for the present exercise of hope; despair is the utter abandonment of hope. Despondency relaxes energy and effort and is always attended with sadness or distress; despair may produce a stony calmness, or it may lead to desperation. Desperation is energized despair, vigorous in action, reckless of consequences.

   Synonyms:
   desperation, despondency, discouragement, hopelessness

   Antonyms:
   anticipation, assurance, cheer, confidence, courage, elation, encouragement, expectancy, expectation, hope, hopefulness, trust

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.3 / 3 votes

1. despairnoun

   Synonyms:
   hopelessness, despondency, desperation

   Antonyms:
   hopefulness, elation, anticipation, hilarity, confidence, sanguineness, expectation

2. despairverb

   Synonyms:
   despond, faint

   Antonyms:
   hope, trust, confide, rely, presume, rally

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. despair, desperationnoun

   a state in which all hope is lost or absent

   "in the depths of despair"; "they were rescued from despair at the last minute"; "courage born of desperation"

   Synonyms:
   desperation

   Antonyms:
   hope

2. despairverb

   the feeling that everything is wrong and nothing will turn out well

   "they moaned in despair and dismay"; "one harsh word would send her into the depths of despair"

   Synonyms:
   desperation

   Antonyms:
   hope

3. despairverb

   abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart

   "Don't despair--help is on the way!"

   Antonyms:
   hope

Matched Categories

1. • Condition

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. despairnoun

   Synonyms:
   desperation, loss of hope, complete or utter hopelessness

2. despairverb

   Synonyms:
   despond, lose all hope, give up all expectation, be without any hope

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. despairnoun

   Synonyms:
   hopelessness, desperation, inconsolableness

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "despair":

   desperation, hopelessness, distress, desolation, despondency, desperate

Suggested Resources

1. despair

   Song lyrics by despair -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by despair on the Lyrics.com website.

How to pronounce despair?

How to say despair in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use despair in a sentence?

1. Anthony Hopkins:

   Forty-seven years ago, I was in a desperate situation, in despair, and uh, probably not long to live, and I just had to realize there was something really wrong with me. But I didn’t realize it was a kind of condition – a mental, physical, emotional condition called alcoholism or addiction.

2. Ambrose Bierce:

   Patience. A minor form of despair disguised as a virtue.

3. David Manne:

   The reality is that refugees under Australia's care who are sent to Cambodia are likely in the long term to lead lives of danger, destitution and despair on the margins.

4. William Shakespeare:

   Oft expectation fails, and most oft where most it promises; and oft it hits where hope is coldest; and despair most sits.

5. Menander:

   He who labors diligently need never despair for all things are accomplished by diligence and labor.