noun

despair

despair, hopelessness

He was filled with despair.

He was filled with despair.

She gave up in despair.

She gave up in despair.

((in despair)) in a state of hopelessness She gave up in despair.

Synonyms: hopelessness, anguish, misery; Antonyms: hope, optimism, joy

From Latin 'de-' (away from) + 'sperare' (to hope). Literally 'away from hope'.

Think of 'de-' as a negative prefix and 'spair' sounding like 'spare'. When you have nothing to spare, not even hope, you're in despair.

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.