Standard Lemma guide

despair

noun · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /dɪˈspɛə(ɹ)/
  • Canada, General-American: /dɪˈspɛɚ/
  • California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /dɪˈspeː(ɹ)/
  • rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)
  • homophone: (weak vowel merger) dispair
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S P EH1 R Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • He turned around in despair, aware that he was not going to survive.
  • My daughter's behavior drives me to despair.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: desperation, despondency, hopelessness, despair, despond, unhope, wanhope

Antonyms: hope, respair

2

noun

Meaning 2

That which causes despair.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

That which is despaired of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To cause to despair.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To be hopeless; to have no hope; to give up all hope or expectation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: hope

Broader terms: feeling

Narrower terms: hopelessness, resignation, surrender, discouragement, disheartenment, dismay, pessimism

8

noun

Meaning 8

a state in which all hope is lost or absent

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: desperation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: condition, status

9

verb

Meaning 9

abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: hope

Narrower terms: despond

History

Etymology

From Middle English dispeir, from Anglo-Norman despeir and Old French desperer (from Latin dēspērō, dēspērāre), or desesperer, from des- (“dis-”) + esperer (“hope”). See also desperate. Displaced native Old English ormōdnes (“despair”) and Old English ortrīewan (“to despair”).

Across languages

Translations

189 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: dëshpërim — loss of hope
  • Arabic: يَأْس (yaʔs) — loss of hope
  • Aragonese: desaspero — loss of hope
  • Armenian: հուսահատություն (husahatutʻyun) — loss of hope
  • Armenian: վհատություն (vhatutʻyun) — loss of hope
  • Armenian: հուսալքություն (husalkʻutʻyun) — loss of hope
  • Azerbaijani: ümidsizlik — loss of hope
  • Azerbaijani: naümidlik — loss of hope
  • Basque: etsipen — loss of hope
  • Belarusian: ро́спач (róspač) — loss of hope
  • Belarusian: безнадзе́йнасць (bjeznadzjéjnascʹ) — loss of hope
  • Belarusian: безнадзе́йнасьць (bjeznadzjéjnasʹcʹ) — loss of hope
  • Bengali: নিরাশা (niraśa) — loss of hope
  • Bulgarian: отча́яние (otčájanie) — loss of hope
  • Bulgarian: безнаде́ждност (beznadéždnost) — loss of hope
  • Catalan: desesperació — loss of hope
  • Chinese Cantonese: 絕望 /绝望 (zyut6 mong6) — loss of hope
  • Chinese Mandarin: 絕望 /绝望 (juéwàng) — loss of hope
  • Czech: zoufalství — loss of hope
  • Czech: beznadějnost — loss of hope
  • Czech: beznaděj — loss of hope
  • Danish: opgivelse — loss of hope
  • Danish: håbløshed — loss of hope
  • Dutch: wanhoop — loss of hope
  • Esperanto: malespero — loss of hope
  • Estonian: meeleheide — loss of hope
  • Estonian: ahastus — loss of hope
  • Finnish: epätoivo — loss of hope
  • French: désespoir — loss of hope
  • West-Frisian: wanhope — loss of hope
  • Georgian: უიმედობა (uimedoba) — loss of hope
  • Georgian: სასოწარკვეთილება (sasoc̣arḳvetileba) — loss of hope
  • German: Verzweiflung — loss of hope
  • German: Hoffnungslosigkeit — loss of hope
  • Greek: απελπισία (apelpisía) — loss of hope
  • Ancient Greek: δυσθυμία (dusthumía) — loss of hope
  • Hebrew: יֵאוּשׁ \ ייאוש (ye'ush) — loss of hope
  • Hindi: निराशा (nirāśā) — loss of hope
  • Hindi: मायूसी (māyūsī) — loss of hope
  • Hungarian: kétségbeesés — loss of hope
  • Hungarian: csüggedés — loss of hope
  • Icelandic: örvilnun — loss of hope
  • Icelandic: örvænting — loss of hope
  • Icelandic: örvinglun — loss of hope
  • Ido: desespero — loss of hope
  • Indonesian: putus asa — loss of hope
  • Irish: éadóchas — loss of hope
  • Italian: disperazione — loss of hope
  • Japanese: 絶望 (zetsubō) — loss of hope
  • Japanese: 失望 (shitsubō) — loss of hope
  • Kazakh: үмітсіздік (ümıtsızdık) — loss of hope
  • Kazakh: түңілушілік (tüñıluşılık) — loss of hope
  • Kazakh: торығушылық (toryğuşylyq) — loss of hope
  • Korean: 절망 (jeolmang) — loss of hope
  • Northern Kurdish: bêhêvîtî — loss of hope
  • Kyrgyz: үмүтсүздүк (ümütsüzdük) — loss of hope
  • Latin: desperatio — loss of hope
  • Latvian: bezcerība — loss of hope
  • Latvian: izmisums — loss of hope
  • Lithuanian: neviltis — loss of hope
  • Lithuanian: beviltiškumas — loss of hope
  • Macedonian: очај (očaj) — loss of hope
  • Macedonian: безнадежност (beznadežnost) — loss of hope
  • Māori: rāwakiwaki — loss of hope
  • Māori: takaruretanga — loss of hope
  • Mongolian: цөхрөл (cöxröl) — loss of hope
  • Norwegian Bokmål: fortvilelse — loss of hope
  • Norwegian Bokmål: håpløshet — loss of hope
  • Norwegian Bokmål: desperasjon — loss of hope
  • Old English: ormōdnes — loss of hope
  • Iranian Persian: نُوْمیدی (nowmidi) — loss of hope
  • Iranian Persian: نااُمیدی (nâomidi) — loss of hope
  • Iranian Persian: نااُمّیدی (nâommidi) — loss of hope
  • Iranian Persian: یَأْس (ya's) — loss of hope
  • Iranian Persian: یاس (yâs) — loss of hope
  • Iranian Persian: مایوسی (mâyusi) — loss of hope
  • Polish: rozpacz — loss of hope
  • Polish: beznadzieja — loss of hope
  • Polish: beznadziejność — loss of hope
  • Portuguese: desespero — loss of hope
  • Romanian: desperare — loss of hope
  • Russian: отча́яние (otčájanije) — loss of hope
  • Russian: безнадёжность (beznadjóžnostʹ) — loss of hope
  • Russian: тлен (tlen) — loss of hope
  • Serbo-Croatian: бѐзна̄ђе — loss of hope
  • Serbo-Croatian: очаја́ње — loss of hope
  • Serbo-Croatian: bèznāđe — loss of hope
  • Serbo-Croatian: očajánje — loss of hope
  • Slovak: zúfalstvo — loss of hope
  • Slovak: beznádej — loss of hope
  • Slovak: beznádejnosť — loss of hope
  • Slovene: obup — loss of hope
  • Slovene: brezupnost — loss of hope
  • Spanish: desespero — loss of hope
  • Swedish: desperation — loss of hope
  • Swedish: förtvivlan — loss of hope
  • Swedish: hopplöshet — loss of hope
  • Tagalog: kawalang-pag-asa — loss of hope
  • Tajik: ноумедӣ (noumedi) — loss of hope
  • Tajik: яъс (ya's) — loss of hope
  • Tajik: маъюсӣ (ma'yusi) — loss of hope
  • Tatar: өметсезлек (ömetsezlek) — loss of hope
  • Telugu: నిరాశ (nirāśa) — loss of hope
  • Thai: ความสิ้นหวัง — loss of hope
  • Thai: สิ้นหวัง (sîn-wǎng) — loss of hope
  • Tocharian B: silñe — loss of hope
  • Turkish: umutsuzluk — loss of hope
  • Turkmen: umytsyzlyk — loss of hope
  • Ukrainian: ві́дчай (vídčaj) — loss of hope
  • Ukrainian: відча́й (vidčáj) — loss of hope
  • Ukrainian: ро́зпач (rózpač) — loss of hope
  • Ukrainian: розпу́ка (rozpúka) — loss of hope
  • Ukrainian: безнаді́йність (beznadíjnistʹ) — loss of hope
  • Urdu: یاس (yās) — loss of hope
  • Urdu: مایُوسی (māyūsī) — loss of hope
  • Urdu: نا اُمِّیدی (nā ummīdī) — loss of hope
  • Uyghur: ئۈمىدسىزلىك (ümidsizlik) — loss of hope
  • Uzbek: umidsizlik — loss of hope
  • Uzbek: noumidlik — loss of hope
  • Vietnamese: sự tuyệt vọng — loss of hope
  • Yiddish: ייִאוש (yiesh) — loss of hope
  • Bulgarian: отча́йвам се (otčájvam se) — to despair of
  • Chinese Mandarin: 絕望 /绝望 (juéwàng) — to despair of
  • French: désespérer — to despair of
  • German: verzweifeln — to despair of
  • Hebrew: התייאש (hitya'ésh) — to despair of
  • Hungarian: csügged — to despair of
  • Hungarian: elcsügged — to despair of
  • Hungarian: kétségbeesik — to despair of
  • Ido: desesperar — to despair of
  • Italian: disperare — to despair of
  • Japanese: 絶望する (zetsubō suru) — to despair of
  • Japanese: 諦める (akirameru) — to despair of
  • Kazakh: үмітсіздену (ümıtsızdenu) — to despair of
  • Kazakh: торығу (toryğu) — to despair of
  • Kazakh: үміт үзу (ümıt üzu) — to despair of
  • Kazakh: түңілу (tüñılu) — to despair of
  • Ladin: vester gram — to despair of
  • Latin: dēspērō — to despair of
  • Macedonian: очајува (očajuva) — to despair of
  • Norwegian: fortvile over — to despair of
  • Old English: ortrīewan — to despair of
  • Portuguese: desesperar-se — to despair of
  • Romanian: despera — to despair of
  • Russian: отча́иваться (otčáivatʹsja) — to despair of
  • Russian: отча́яться (otčájatʹsja) — to despair of
  • Swedish: förtvivla — to despair of
  • Swedish: misströsta — to despair of
  • Tocharian B: si-n- — to despair of
  • Bulgarian: отчайвам (otčajvam) — to cause to despair
  • Dutch: tot wanhoop drijven — to cause to despair
  • Georgian: სასოწარკვეთა (sasoc̣arḳveta) — to cause to despair
  • German: zur Verzweiflung bringen — to cause to despair
  • Hebrew: ייאש (ye'ésh) — to cause to despair
  • Hungarian: elcsüggeszt — to cause to despair
  • Ido: desesperigar — to cause to despair
  • Portuguese: desesperar — to cause to despair
  • Spanish: desesperanzar — to cause to despair
  • Arabic: يَئِسَ (yaʔisa) — to be hopeless
  • Armenian: հուսահատվել (husahatvel) — to be hopeless
  • Bulgarian: губя надежда (gubja nadežda) — to be hopeless
  • Ngazidja Comorian: utsindza twamaa — to be hopeless
  • Czech: zoufat — to be hopeless
  • Dutch: wanhopen — to be hopeless
  • Esperanto: malesperi — to be hopeless
  • Finnish: menettää toivonsa — to be hopeless
  • Finnish: luopua toivosta — to be hopeless
  • French: désespérer — to be hopeless
  • Galician: desesperar — to be hopeless
  • German: verzweifeln — to be hopeless
  • German: die Hoffnung aufgeben — to be hopeless
  • Greek: απελπίζομαι (apelpízomai) — to be hopeless
  • Ancient Greek: ἀπελπίζω (apelpízō) — to be hopeless
  • Ancient Greek: ἀθυμέω (athuméō) — to be hopeless
  • Icelandic: örvænta — to be hopeless
  • Indonesian: berputus asa — to be hopeless
  • Italian: disperare — to be hopeless
  • Macedonian: очајува (očajuva) — to be hopeless
  • Māori: takarure — to be hopeless
  • Norwegian: fortvile — to be hopeless
  • Old English: ortrīewian — to be hopeless
  • Polish: rozpaczać — to be hopeless
  • Portuguese: desesperar-se — to be hopeless
  • Romanian: despera — to be hopeless
  • Spanish: desesperanzarse — to be hopeless
  • Spanish: desesperarse — to be hopeless
  • Swahili: kukata tamaa — to be hopeless
  • Swedish: förtvivla — to be hopeless
  • Tagalog: desperado — to be hopeless
Real reading context

despair in complete knowledge articles