1
as in desperation
utter loss of hope
the endless drought drove the farmers to despair
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dismay
the state of being discouraged
the other team's temporary lead caused some momentary despair
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to grieve
to lose all hope or confidence
we despaired when we saw how little time we had left to complete our project
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of despair
Christine Adams / Made By History, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024
But despair is a luxury that your children can’t afford.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
Francisco Toro, Foreign Affairs, 2 Mar. 2014
And both communities despair, perceiving the rest of the world is indifferent to their suffering.
—Detroit Free Press, 6 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for despair 
Noun
When the Great Depression hit in the early 1930s, Hitler and his followers were ready to take advantage of the German people’s despair and to focus their attention on a scapegoat—the political left and the Jews—as support for centrist political parties eroded.
—Verb
The more radical faction despaired of any attempt at dialogue and centered its hopes on a strategy of popular protest culminating in revolution.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for despair
Noun
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Yet the mass of people chooses lives of quiet or flamboyant desperation hoping to find meaning in orgies of hormonal gratifications.Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 1 Dec. 2024
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Bakery lines have become sites of desperation and overcrowding as Palestinians fight to find food for themselves and their family.Abeer Salman, CNN, 29 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Writing about the Budapest Memorandum, Zelensky voiced his dismay regarding the 1994 agreement, which was meant to ensure Ukrainian security and sovereignty from Russia.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
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These apparent one-off features were not included in the 2024 edition, to the dismay of many.Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In a nuanced performance, Ms. Nakayama played two roles: Hiroko, a grieving woman who sends a letter to an old address for her dead fiancé, Itsuki Fujii; and another woman, who happens to also be named Itsuki Fujii and who responds to the letter, starting an epistolary relationship between the two.Alex Williams, New York Times, 8 Dec. 2024
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Also, the idea of my mother being on her own and grieving for a partner really struck a chord with me.Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 7 Dec. 2024
Noun
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This leads to feelings of disengagement, discouragement and exhaustion.Jack Kelly, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
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This isn’t just a lesson kids need to hear; parents deal with failure and discouragement too.Kara Nesvig, Parents, 9 Oct. 2024
Verb
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The patients who had the most inconsistent sleep schedules were almost 25% more likely to suffer a heart problem than those with a consistent routine.Alex Knapp, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
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As recently as 2021, bitcoin suffered a downturn that cut its value in half.Max Zahn, ABC News, 6 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The 49ers wasted no more time mourning their previous three straight defeats, from the last-minute loss to Seattle here to the ensuing blowouts in Green Bay (38-10) and Buffalo (35-10).Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 8 Dec. 2024
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Lord John, who also copes by getting rip-roaring drunk, refuses to let Claire mourn Jamie alone.Lincee Ray, EW.com, 7 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Hendrix went on to say the foundation shared in the sorrow of the child’s passing.Corina Vanek, The Arizona Republic, 3 Dec. 2024
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The topic, then, is sorrow, songs of sorrow, sounds of sorrow.Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Therefore, any tariff levy will hurt businesses that operate internationally, fears of which have increased in recent weeks following Trump’s election victory.Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 28 Nov. 2024
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The easy-to-use bamboo tool has a smart four-claw design that effectively removes any weeds in its way, and the long length of the handle means users don’t have to hurt their back or knees bending over to remove the pesky plants.Rachel Simon, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near despair
Cite this Entry
“Despair.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despair. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.
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