despair

Language

English

Etymology

Category:English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European#DESPAIR Category:English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *speh₁-#DESPAIR

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

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /dɪˈspɛə(ɹ)/Category:English 2-syllable words#DESPAIR Category:English terms with IPA pronunciation#DESPAIR
(General American) IPA^(key): /dɪˈspɛɚ/Category:English 3-syllable words#DESPAIR Category:English terms with IPA pronunciation#DESPAIR
Audio (General American): (file)
Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#DESPAIR
Rhymes: -ɛə(ɹ)Category:Rhymes:English/ɛə(ɹ)#DESPAIR Category:Rhymes:English/ɛə(ɹ)/2 syllables#DESPAIR
Homophone: dispairCategory:English terms with homophones#DESPAIR
Hyphenation: des‧pair

Verb

despair (third-person singular simple present despairs, present participle despairing, simple past and past participle despaired)Category:English lemmas#DESPAIR Category:English verbs#DESPAIR Category:English entries with incorrect language header#DESPAIR Category:Pages with entries#DESPAIR Category:Pages with 1 entry#DESPAIR

(transitive Category:English transitive verbs#DESPAIR, obsolete Category:English terms with obsolete senses#DESPAIR) To give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of.
- 1644, John Milton, Areopagitica; a Speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicenc’d Printing, to the Parlament of England, London: [s.n.], →OCLC:
  I would not despair the greatest design that could be attempted.
  Category:English terms with quotations#DESPAIR
- 1854 August 9, Henry D[avid] Thoreau, “Economy”, in Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC:
  I sometimes despair of getting anything quite simple and honest done in this world by the help of men.
  Category:English terms with quotations#DESPAIR
(transitive Category:English transitive verbs#DESPAIR) To cause to despair.
- 2019, Tim Dee, Landfill:
  Thinking of what I was despairing about despaired me further
  Category:English terms with quotations#DESPAIR
(intransitive Category:English intransitive verbs#DESPAIR) To be hopeless; to have no hope; to give up all hope or expectation. [(often) with of]
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Corinthians 1:8:
  We despaired even of life.
  Category:English terms with quotations#DESPAIR

Derived terms

Translations

to despair of

Category:Entries with translation boxes#DESPAIR

Bulgarian: отча́йвам се impf (otčájvam se)Category:Terms with Bulgarian translations#DESPAIR
Chinese:
Mandarin: 絕望 / 绝望 (zh) (juéwàng)Category:Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations#DESPAIR Category:Terms with Mandarin translations#DESPAIR
French: désespérer (fr)Category:Terms with French translations#DESPAIR
German: verzweifeln (de)Category:Terms with German translations#DESPAIR
Hebrew: התייאש (hitya'ésh)Category:Terms with Hebrew translations#DESPAIR
Hungarian: csügged (hu)Category:Terms with Hungarian translations#DESPAIR, elcsügged (hu)Category:Terms with Hungarian translations#DESPAIR, kétségbeesik (hu)Category:Terms with Hungarian translations#DESPAIR
Ido: desesperar (io)Category:Terms with Ido translations#DESPAIR
Italian: disperare (it)Category:Terms with Italian translations#DESPAIR
Japanese: 絶望する (ja) (ぜつぼうする, zetsubō suru)Category:Terms with Japanese translations#DESPAIR, 諦める (ja) (あきらめる, akirameru)Category:Terms with Japanese translations#DESPAIR
Kazakh: үмітсіздену (ümıtsızdenu)Category:Terms with Kazakh translations#DESPAIR, торығу (toryğu)Category:Terms with Kazakh translations#DESPAIR, үміт үзу (ümıt üzu)Category:Terms with Kazakh translations#DESPAIR, түңілу (tüñılu)Category:Terms with Kazakh translations#DESPAIR
Ladin: vester gramCategory:Terms with Ladin translations#DESPAIR
Latin: dēspērō (la)Category:Terms with Latin translations#DESPAIR
Macedonian: очајува (očajuva)Category:Terms with Macedonian translations#DESPAIR
Norwegian: fortvileCategory:Terms with Norwegian translations#DESPAIR over (no)Category:Terms with Norwegian translations#DESPAIR
Old English: ortrīewanCategory:Terms with Old English translations#DESPAIR
Portuguese: desesperar-se (pt)Category:Terms with Portuguese translations#DESPAIR
Romanian: despera (ro)Category:Terms with Romanian translations#DESPAIR
Russian: отча́иваться (ru) impf (otčáivatʹsja)Category:Terms with Russian translations#DESPAIR, отча́яться (ru) impf (otčájatʹsja)Category:Terms with Russian translations#DESPAIR
Swedish: förtvivla (sv)Category:Terms with Swedish translations#DESPAIR, misströsta (sv)Category:Terms with Swedish translations#DESPAIR
Tocharian B: si-n-Category:Terms with Tocharian B translations#DESPAIR

to cause to despair

to be hopeless

Category:Entries with translation boxes#DESPAIR

Arabic: يَئِسَ (yaʔisa)Category:Terms with Arabic translations#DESPAIR
Armenian: հուսահատվել (hy) (husahatvel)Category:Terms with Armenian translations#DESPAIR
Bulgarian: губя надежда (gubja nadežda)Category:Terms with Bulgarian translations#DESPAIR
Comorian:
Ngazidja Comorian: utsindza twamaaCategory:Terms with Ngazidja Comorian translations#DESPAIR
Czech: zoufat (cs)Category:Terms with Czech translations#DESPAIR
Dutch: wanhopen (nl)Category:Terms with Dutch translations#DESPAIR
Esperanto: malesperi (eo)Category:Terms with Esperanto translations#DESPAIR
Finnish: menettää toivonsaCategory:Terms with Finnish translations#DESPAIR, luopua toivostaCategory:Terms with Finnish translations#DESPAIR
French: désespérer (fr)Category:Terms with French translations#DESPAIR
Galician: desesperar (gl)Category:Terms with Galician translations#DESPAIR
German: verzweifeln (de)Category:Terms with German translations#DESPAIR, die Hoffnung aufgebenCategory:Terms with German translations#DESPAIR
Greek: απελπίζομαι (el) (apelpízomai)Category:Terms with Greek translations#DESPAIR
Ancient Greek: ἀπελπίζω (apelpízō)Category:Terms with Ancient Greek translations#DESPAIR, ἀθυμέω (athuméō)Category:Terms with Ancient Greek translations#DESPAIR
Icelandic: örvænta (is)Category:Terms with Icelandic translations#DESPAIR
Indonesian: berputus asa (id)Category:Terms with Indonesian translations#DESPAIR
Italian: disperare (it)Category:Terms with Italian translations#DESPAIR
Macedonian: очајува (očajuva)Category:Terms with Macedonian translations#DESPAIR
Māori: takarureCategory:Terms with Māori translations#DESPAIR
Norwegian: fortvileCategory:Terms with Norwegian translations#DESPAIR
Old English: ortrīewianCategory:Terms with Old English translations#DESPAIR
Polish: rozpaczać (pl)Category:Terms with Polish translations#DESPAIR
Portuguese: desesperar-se (pt)Category:Terms with Portuguese translations#DESPAIR
Romanian: despera (ro)Category:Terms with Romanian translations#DESPAIR
Spanish: desesperanzarse (es)Category:Terms with Spanish translations#DESPAIR, desesperarse (es)Category:Terms with Spanish translations#DESPAIR
Swahili: kukata tamaaCategory:Terms with Swahili translations#DESPAIR
Swedish: förtvivla (sv)Category:Terms with Swedish translations#DESPAIR
Tagalog: desperadoCategory:Terms with Tagalog translations#DESPAIR

Noun

despair (countable and uncountable, plural despairs)Category:English lemmas#DESPAIR Category:English nouns#DESPAIR Category:English uncountable nouns#DESPAIR Category:English countable nouns#DESPAIR Category:English countable nouns#DESPAIR Category:English entries with incorrect language header#DESPAIR Category:Pages with entries#DESPAIR Category:Pages with 1 entry#DESPAIR

Loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency.
Synonyms: desperation, despondency, hopelessness; see also Thesaurus:hopelessness

Antonyms: hope, respair

He turned around in despair, aware that he was not going to survive.Category:English terms with usage examples#DESPAIR

My daughter's behavior drives me to despair.Category:English terms with usage examples#DESPAIR
That which causes despair.
That which is despaired of. (Can we add an example for this sense?)Category:Requests for example sentences in English#DESPAIR

Derived terms

Translations

loss of hope — see also desperation,‎ hopelessness

Category:Entries with translation boxes#DESPAIR

Albanian: dëshpërim (sq) mCategory:Terms with Albanian translations#DESPAIR
Arabic: يَأْس (ar) m (yaʔs)Category:Terms with Arabic translations#DESPAIR
Aragonese: desaspero mCategory:Terms with Aragonese translations#DESPAIR
Armenian: հուսահատություն (hy) (husahatutʻyun)Category:Terms with Armenian translations#DESPAIR, վհատություն (hy) (vhatutʻyun)Category:Terms with Armenian translations#DESPAIR, հուսալքություն (hy) (husalkʻutʻyun)Category:Terms with Armenian translations#DESPAIR
Azerbaijani: ümidsizlikCategory:Terms with Azerbaijani translations#DESPAIR, naümidlikCategory:Terms with Azerbaijani translations#DESPAIR
Basque: etsipenCategory:Terms with Basque translations#DESPAIR
Belarusian: ро́спач m (róspač)Category:Terms with Belarusian translations#DESPAIR, безнадзе́йнасць f (bjeznadzjéjnascʹ)Category:Terms with Belarusian translations#DESPAIR, безнадзе́йнасьць f (bjeznadzjéjnasʹcʹ)Category:Terms with Belarusian translations#DESPAIR
Bengali: নিরাশা (bn) (niraśa)Category:Terms with Bengali translations#DESPAIR
Bulgarian: отча́яние (bg) n (otčájanie)Category:Terms with Bulgarian translations#DESPAIR, безнаде́ждност (bg) f (beznadéždnost)Category:Terms with Bulgarian translations#DESPAIR
Catalan: desesperacióCategory:Terms with Catalan translations#DESPAIR
Chinese:
Cantonese: 絕望 / 绝望 (zyut⁶ mong⁶)Category:Terms with Cantonese translations#DESPAIR

Mandarin: 絕望 / 绝望 (zh) (juéwàng)Category:Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations#DESPAIR Category:Terms with Mandarin translations#DESPAIR
Czech: zoufalství (cs) nCategory:Terms with Czech translations#DESPAIR, beznadějnost fCategory:Terms with Czech translations#DESPAIR, beznaděj (cs) fCategory:Terms with Czech translations#DESPAIR
Danish: opgivelse cCategory:Terms with Danish translations#DESPAIR, håbløshed cCategory:Terms with Danish translations#DESPAIR
Dutch: wanhoop (nl) cCategory:Terms with Dutch translations#DESPAIR
Esperanto: malespero (eo)Category:Terms with Esperanto translations#DESPAIR
Estonian: meeleheideCategory:Terms with Estonian translations#DESPAIR, ahastusCategory:Terms with Estonian translations#DESPAIR
Finnish: epätoivo (fi)Category:Terms with Finnish translations#DESPAIR
French: désespoir (fr) mCategory:Terms with French translations#DESPAIR
Frisian:
West Frisian: wanhope nCategory:Terms with West Frisian translations#DESPAIR
Georgian: უიმედობა (uimedoba)Category:Terms with Georgian translations#DESPAIR, სასოწარკვეთილება (sasoc̣arḳvetileba)Category:Terms with Georgian translations#DESPAIR
German: Verzweiflung (de) fCategory:Terms with German translations#DESPAIR, Hoffnungslosigkeit (de) fCategory:Terms with German translations#DESPAIR
Greek: απελπισία (el) f (apelpisía)Category:Terms with Greek translations#DESPAIR
Ancient Greek: δυσθυμία f (dusthumía)Category:Terms with Ancient Greek translations#DESPAIR
Hebrew: יֵאוּשׁ \ ייאוש (he) m (ye'ush)Category:Terms with Hebrew translations#DESPAIR
Hindi: निराशा (hi) f (nirāśā)Category:Terms with Hindi translations#DESPAIR, मायूसी (hi) f (māyūsī)Category:Terms with Hindi translations#DESPAIR
Hungarian: kétségbeesés (hu)Category:Terms with Hungarian translations#DESPAIR, csüggedés (hu)Category:Terms with Hungarian translations#DESPAIR
Icelandic: örvilnun (is) fCategory:Terms with Icelandic translations#DESPAIR, örvænting (is) fCategory:Terms with Icelandic translations#DESPAIR, örvinglun (is) fCategory:Terms with Icelandic translations#DESPAIR
Ido: desespero (io)Category:Terms with Ido translations#DESPAIR
Indonesian: putus asa (id)Category:Terms with Indonesian translations#DESPAIR
Irish: éadóchasCategory:Terms with Irish translations#DESPAIR
Italian: disperazione (it) fCategory:Terms with Italian translations#DESPAIR
Japanese: 絶望 (ja) (ぜつぼう, zetsubō)Category:Terms with Japanese translations#DESPAIR, 失望 (ja) (しつぼう, shitsubō)Category:Terms with Japanese translations#DESPAIR
Kazakh: үмітсіздік (ümıtsızdık)Category:Terms with Kazakh translations#DESPAIR, түңілушілік (tüñıluşılık)Category:Terms with Kazakh translations#DESPAIR, торығушылық (toryğuşylyq)Category:Terms with Kazakh translations#DESPAIR
Korean: 절망(絶望) (ko) (jeolmang)Category:Terms with Korean translations#DESPAIR
Kurdish:
Northern Kurdish: bêhêvîtî (ku) fCategory:Terms with Northern Kurdish translations#DESPAIR
Kyrgyz: үмүтсүздүк (ky) (ümütsüzdük)Category:Terms with Kyrgyz translations#DESPAIR
Latin: desperatio fCategory:Terms with Latin translations#DESPAIR
Latvian: bezcerība fCategory:Terms with Latvian translations#DESPAIR, izmisums mCategory:Terms with Latvian translations#DESPAIR
Lithuanian: neviltis fCategory:Terms with Lithuanian translations#DESPAIR, beviltiškumas mCategory:Terms with Lithuanian translations#DESPAIR
Macedonian: очај m (očaj)Category:Terms with Macedonian translations#DESPAIR, безнадежност f (beznadežnost)Category:Terms with Macedonian translations#DESPAIR
Māori: rāwakiwakiCategory:Terms with Māori translations#DESPAIR, takaruretangaCategory:Terms with Māori translations#DESPAIR
Mongolian:
Cyrillic: цөхрөл (mn) (cöxröl)Category:Terms with Mongolian translations#DESPAIR
Norwegian:
Bokmål: fortvilelse mCategory:Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations#DESPAIR, håpløshet m or fCategory:Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations#DESPAIR, desperasjon mCategory:Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations#DESPAIR
Old English: ormōdnes fCategory:Terms with Old English translations#DESPAIR
Persian:
Iranian Persian: نُوْمیدی (nowmidi)Category:Terms with Iranian Persian translations#DESPAIR Category:Terms with Persian translations#DESPAIR, نااُمیدی (nâomidi)Category:Terms with Iranian Persian translations#DESPAIR Category:Terms with Persian translations#DESPAIR, نااُمّیدی (nâommidi)Category:Terms with Iranian Persian translations#DESPAIR Category:Terms with Persian translations#DESPAIR, یَأْس (ya's)Category:Terms with Iranian Persian translations#DESPAIR Category:Terms with Persian translations#DESPAIR, یاس (fa) (yâs)Category:Terms with Iranian Persian translations#DESPAIR Category:Terms with Persian translations#DESPAIR, مایوسی (mâyusi)Category:Persian terms with non-redundant manual transliterations#DESPAIR Category:Terms with Iranian Persian translations#DESPAIR Category:Terms with Persian translations#DESPAIR
Polish: rozpacz (pl) fCategory:Terms with Polish translations#DESPAIR, beznadzieja (pl) fCategory:Terms with Polish translations#DESPAIR, beznadziejność (pl) fCategory:Terms with Polish translations#DESPAIR
Portuguese: desespero (pt) mCategory:Terms with Portuguese translations#DESPAIR
Romanian: desperare (ro) fCategory:Terms with Romanian translations#DESPAIR
Russian: отча́яние (ru) n (otčájanije)Category:Terms with Russian translations#DESPAIR, безнадёжность (ru) f (beznadjóžnostʹ)Category:Terms with Russian translations#DESPAIR, тлен (ru) m (tlen)Category:Terms with Russian translations#DESPAIR (poetic)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: бѐзна̄ђе nCategory:Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations#DESPAIR, очаја́ње nCategory:Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations#DESPAIR

Latin: bèznāđe (sh) nCategory:Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations#DESPAIR, očajánje (sh) nCategory:Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations#DESPAIR
Slovak: zúfalstvo nCategory:Terms with Slovak translations#DESPAIR, beznádej fCategory:Terms with Slovak translations#DESPAIR, beznádejnosť fCategory:Terms with Slovak translations#DESPAIR
Slovene: obup (sl) mCategory:Terms with Slovene translations#DESPAIR, brezupnost fCategory:Terms with Slovene translations#DESPAIR
Spanish: desespero (es) mCategory:Terms with Spanish translations#DESPAIR
Swedish: desperation (sv) cCategory:Terms with Swedish translations#DESPAIR, förtvivlan (sv) cCategory:Terms with Swedish translations#DESPAIR, hopplöshet (sv) cCategory:Terms with Swedish translations#DESPAIR
Tagalog: kawalang-pag-asaCategory:Terms with Tagalog translations#DESPAIR
Tajik: ноумедӣ (noumedi)Category:Terms with Tajik translations#DESPAIR, яъс (tg) (ya's)Category:Terms with Tajik translations#DESPAIR, маъюсӣ (tg) (ma'yusi)Category:Terms with Tajik translations#DESPAIR
Tatar: өметсезлек (tt) (ömetsezlek)Category:Terms with Tatar translations#DESPAIR
Telugu: నిరాశ (te) (nirāśa)Category:Terms with Telugu translations#DESPAIR
Thai: ความสิ้นหวังCategory:Terms with Thai translations#DESPAIR, สิ้นหวัง (th) (sîn-wǎng)Category:Terms with Thai translations#DESPAIR
Tocharian B: silñeCategory:Terms with Tocharian B translations#DESPAIR
Turkish: umutsuzluk (tr)Category:Terms with Turkish translations#DESPAIR
Turkmen: umytsyzlykCategory:Terms with Turkmen translations#DESPAIR
Ukrainian: ві́дчай m (vídčaj)Category:Terms with Ukrainian translations#DESPAIR, відча́й m (vidčáj)Category:Terms with Ukrainian translations#DESPAIR, ро́зпач m (rózpač)Category:Terms with Ukrainian translations#DESPAIR, розпу́ка f (rozpúka)Category:Terms with Ukrainian translations#DESPAIR, безнаді́йність (uk) f (beznadíjnistʹ)Category:Terms with Ukrainian translations#DESPAIR
Urdu: یاس (ur) f (yās)Category:Terms with Urdu translations#DESPAIR, مایُوسی f (māyūsī)Category:Terms with Urdu translations#DESPAIR, نا اُمِّیدی f (nā ummīdī)Category:Terms with Urdu translations#DESPAIR
Uyghur: ئۈمىدسىزلىك (ümidsizlik)Category:Terms with Uyghur translations#DESPAIR
Uzbek: umidsizlik (uz)Category:Terms with Uzbek translations#DESPAIR, noumidlik (uz)Category:Terms with Uzbek translations#DESPAIR
Vietnamese: sự tuyệt vọng (vi)Category:Terms with Vietnamese translations#DESPAIR
Yiddish: ייִאוש m (yiesh)Category:Yiddish terms with non-redundant manual transliterations#DESPAIR Category:Terms with Yiddish translations#DESPAIR

Anagrams

Piedras, aperids, aspired, diapers, praised, pre-AIDS

Category:en:Emotions#DESPAIR

Category:English 2-syllable words Category:English 3-syllable words Category:English countable nouns Category:English intransitive verbs Category:English lemmas Category:English nouns Category:English terms derived from Anglo-Norman Category:English terms derived from Latin Category:English terms derived from Middle English Category:English terms derived from Old French Category:English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European Category:English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *speh₁- Category:English terms inherited from Middle English Category:English terms with IPA pronunciation Category:English terms with audio pronunciation Category:English terms with homophones Category:English terms with obsolete senses Category:English terms with quotations Category:English terms with usage examples Category:English transitive verbs Category:English uncountable nouns Category:English verbs Category:Entries with translation boxes Category:Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations Category:Pages with 1 entry Category:Pages with entries Category:Persian terms with non-redundant manual transliterations Category:Requests for example sentences in English Category:Rhymes:English/ɛə(ɹ) Category:Rhymes:English/ɛə(ɹ)/2 syllables Category:Terms with Albanian translations Category:Terms with Ancient Greek translations Category:Terms with Arabic translations Category:Terms with Aragonese translations Category:Terms with Armenian translations Category:Terms with Azerbaijani translations Category:Terms with Basque translations Category:Terms with Belarusian translations Category:Terms with Bengali translations Category:Terms with Bulgarian translations Category:Terms with Cantonese translations Category:Terms with Catalan translations Category:Terms with Czech translations Category:Terms with Danish translations Category:Terms with Dutch translations Category:Terms with Esperanto translations Category:Terms with Estonian translations Category:Terms with Finnish translations Category:Terms with French translations Category:Terms with Galician translations Category:Terms with Georgian translations Category:Terms with German translations Category:Terms with Greek translations Category:Terms with Hebrew translations Category:Terms with Hindi translations Category:Terms with Hungarian translations Category:Terms with Icelandic translations Category:Terms with Ido translations Category:Terms with Indonesian translations Category:Terms with Iranian Persian translations Category:Terms with Irish translations Category:Terms with Italian translations Category:Terms with Japanese translations Category:Terms with Kazakh translations Category:Terms with Korean translations Category:Terms with Kyrgyz translations Category:Terms with Ladin translations Category:Terms with Latin translations Category:Terms with Latvian translations Category:Terms with Lithuanian translations Category:Terms with Macedonian translations Category:Terms with Mandarin translations Category:Terms with Mongolian translations Category:Terms with Māori translations Category:Terms with Ngazidja Comorian translations Category:Terms with Northern Kurdish translations Category:Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations Category:Terms with Norwegian translations Category:Terms with Old English translations Category:Terms with Persian translations Category:Terms with Polish translations Category:Terms with Portuguese translations Category:Terms with Romanian translations Category:Terms with Russian translations Category:Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations Category:Terms with Slovak translations Category:Terms with Slovene translations Category:Terms with Spanish translations Category:Terms with Swahili translations Category:Terms with Swedish translations Category:Terms with Tagalog translations Category:Terms with Tajik translations Category:Terms with Tatar translations Category:Terms with Telugu translations Category:Terms with Thai translations Category:Terms with Tocharian B translations Category:Terms with Turkish translations Category:Terms with Turkmen translations Category:Terms with Ukrainian translations Category:Terms with Urdu translations Category:Terms with Uyghur translations Category:Terms with Uzbek translations Category:Terms with Vietnamese translations Category:Terms with West Frisian translations Category:Terms with Yiddish translations Category:Yiddish terms with non-redundant manual transliterations Category:en:Emotions