Nearby Words

despondence

[dih-spon-duhn-see] Origin

de·spond·en·cy

[dih-spon-duhn-see]
noun
state of being despondent; depression of spirits from loss of courage or hope; dejection.
Also, de·spond·ence.


Origin:
1645–55; despond + -ency

pre·de·spond·en·cy, noun


melancholy, gloom. See despair.


joy.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To despondence

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Despondence is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
Collins
World English Dictionary
despondent (dɪˈspɒndənt)
 
adj
downcast or disheartened; lacking hope or courage; dejected
 
de'spondence
 
n
 
de'spondency
 
n
 
de'spondently
 
adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

despondence
1676, from L. despondere "to give up, lose, lose heart, resign" (especially in phrase animam despondere, lit. "give up one's soul"), from the sense of a promise to give something away, from de- "away" + spondere "to promise" (see spondee). A step above despair.
EXPAND

despondency
1650s, from despondence.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature