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despair - 6 dictionary results
de⋅spair
[di-spair] 
–noun
| 1. | loss of hope; hopelessness. |
| 2. | someone or something that causes hopelessness: He is the despair of his mother. |
–verb (used without object)
| 3. | to lose, give up, or be without hope (often fol. by of): to despair of humanity. |
–verb (used with object)
| 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 dēspērāre to be without hope, equiv. to dē- de- + spērāre to hope, deriv. of spēs hope
1275–1325; ME despeir (n.), despeiren (v.) < AF despeir, OF despoir (n.), despeir-, tonic s. of desperer (v.) < L dēspērāre to be without hope, equiv. to dē- de- + spērāre to hope, deriv. of spēs 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.
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.
1. hope.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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|
Link To despair
| de·spair (dĭ-spâr') intr.v. de·spaired, de·spair·ing, de·spairs
[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 © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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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.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.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.
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Language Translation for : despair
Spanish:
desesperar, perder la esperanza,
German:
verzweifeln,
Japanese:
絶望する
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
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