Standard Lemma guide

despairing

adj · noun · verb · 4 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.ɹɪŋ/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /dɪˈspɛː.ɹɪŋ/
  • Canada, General-American: /dɪˈspɛɹ.ɪŋ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /dɪˈspeː.ɹɪŋ/
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S P EH1 R IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Feeling, expressing, or caused by despair; hopeless.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A mood or display of despair.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

present participle and gerund of despair

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a despairing view of the world situation
  • the last despairing plea of the condemned criminal
  • a desperate cry for help
  • helpless and desperate--as if at the end of his tether
  • her desperate screams

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: desperate

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English despeyringe, equivalent to despair + -ing.

Across languages

Translations

2 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Esperanto: malespera — expressing despair
  • Ottoman Turkish: قنط (kanat) — mood or display of despair