![[P]](http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/premium_mh.gif){kind=small}
de·spair 
Audio Help [di-spair] Pronunciation Key
—Related forms
Audio Help [di-spair] Pronunciation Key –noun
–verb (used without object)
–verb (used with object)
| 1. | loss of hope; hopelessness. |
| 2. | someone or something that causes hopelessness: He is the despair of his mother. |
| 3. | to lose, give up, or be without hope (often fol. by of): to despair of humanity. |
| 4. | Obsolete. to give up hope of. |
[Origin: 1275–1325; ME despeir (n.), despeiren (v.) < AF despeir, OF despoir (n.), despeir-, tonic s. of desperer (v.) < L déspérāre to be without hope, equiv. to dé- de- + spérāre to hope, deriv. of spés hope]
] —Related forms
de·spair·er, noun
—Synonyms 1. gloom, disheartenment. Despair, desperation, despondency, discouragement, hopelessness refer to a state of mind caused by circumstances that seem too much to cope with. Despair suggests total loss of hope, which may be passive or may drive one to furious efforts, even if at random: in the depths of despair; courage born of despair. Desperation is usually an active state, the abandonment of hope impelling to a furious struggle against adverse circumstances, with utter disregard of consequences: an act of desperation when everything else had failed. Despondency is a state of deep gloom and disheartenment: a spell of despondency. Discouragement is a loss of courage, hope, and ambition because of obstacles, frustrations, etc.: His optimism yielded to discouragement. Hopelessness is a loss of hope so complete as to result in a more or less permanent state of passive despair: a state of hopelessness and apathy.
—Antonyms 1. hope.
| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
Despair
To learn more about Despair visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| de·spair
Audio Help (dĭ-spâr') Pronunciation Key
intr.v. de·spaired, de·spair·ing, de·spairs
n.
[Middle English despeiren, from Old French desperer, from Latin dēspērāre : dē-, de- + spērāre, to hope; see spē- in Indo-European roots. N., from Middle English despeir, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French desperer, to despair.] |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
despair
c.1325, from O.Fr. desperer "lose hope, despair," from L. desperare "to despair," from de- "without" + sperare "to hope," from spes "hope" (see speed). Noun replaced native wanhope.
| Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper |
| despair | |
noun | |
| 1. | a state in which all hope is lost or absent; "in the depths of despair"; "they were rescued from despair at the last minute"; "courage born of desperation" |
| 2. | the feeling that everything is wrong and nothing will turn out well; "they moaned in despair and dismay"; "one harsh word would send her into the depths of despair" [ant: hope] |
verb | |
| 1. | abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart; "Don't despair--help is on the way!" [ant: hope] |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
despair [diˈspeə] verb
to lose hope (of)
Example: I despair of ever teaching my son anything.
despair1 [diˈspeə] nounExample: I despair of ever teaching my son anything.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
the state of having given up hope
Example: He was filled with despair at the news.
despair2 [diˈspeə] nounExample: He was filled with despair at the news.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(with the) something which causes someone to despair
Example: He is the despair of his mother.
Example: He is the despair of his mother.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary, © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd. |
Despair
De*spair"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Despaired; p. pr. & vb. n. Despairing.] [OE. despeiren, dispeiren, OF. desperer, fr. L. desperare; de- + sperare to hope; akin to spes hope, and perh. to spatium space, E. space, speed; cf. OF. espeir hope, F. espoir. Cf. Prosper, Desperate.] To be hopeless; to have no hope; to give up all hope or expectation; -- often with of. We despaired even of life. --2 Cor. i. 8. Never despair of God's blessings here. --Wake. Syn: See Despond.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
Despair
De*spair"\, v. t. 1. To give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of. [Obs.] I would not despair the greatest design that could be attempted. --Milton. 2. To cause to despair. [Obs.] --Sir W. Williams.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
Despair
De*spair"\, n. [Cf. OF. despoir, fr. desperer.]1. Loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency. We in dark dreams are tossing to and fro, Pine with regret, or sicken with despair. --Keble. Before he [Bunyan] was ten, his sports were interrupted by fits of remorse and despair. --Macaulay. 2. That which is despaired of. "The mere despair of surgery he cures." --Shak. Syn: Desperation; despondency; hopelessness.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
despair
despair: in CancerWEB's On-line Medical Dictionary
| On-line Medical Dictionary, © 1997-98 Academic Medical Publishing & CancerWEB |
View results from: Dictionary | Thesaurus | Encyclopedia | All Reference | the Web
Share This: 
Perform a new search, or try your search for "Despair" at:
- Amazon.com - Shop for books, music and more
- Reference.com - Encyclopedia Search
- Reference.com - Web Search powered by Ask.com
- Thesaurus.com - Search for synonyms and antonyms
