1
as in desperation
utter loss of hope
the endless drought drove the farmers to despair
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of despair
Sonal Nain, Newsweek, 19 Jan. 2025
In the extreme, GoFundMe can perversely encourage users to package their despair into marketable narratives.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2025
Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 26 Nov. 2024
In recent years, computer modeling has greatly accelerated the project’s timeline, and Gaudí fans who once despaired of ever seeing La Sagrada Familia finished in their lifetimes will get to see it soon.
—Michael Y. Park, Architectural Digest, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for despair 
Noun
During this time, Stanislava experienced a mixture of despair, hope and heartache as the unit tirelessly worked to recover her husband's body.
—Sonal Nain, Newsweek, 19 Jan. 2025
In the extreme, GoFundMe can perversely encourage users to package their despair into marketable narratives.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
Interpretations range from hope to despair to a middle ground that contains a little bit of both.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 26 Nov. 2024
In recent years, computer modeling has greatly accelerated the project’s timeline, and Gaudí fans who once despaired of ever seeing La Sagrada Familia finished in their lifetimes will get to see it soon.
—Michael Y. Park, Architectural Digest, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for despair
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despair
Noun
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Organized theft is no petty crime; these are not one-off crimes of desperation or a mom lifting a can of formula to feed her baby.—
Cailey Locklair,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Jan. 2025
-
That’s a Shawn Ryan [decision in the writing], and then my job is to act out that turmoil and choreograph the desperation and brutality.—
Max Gao,
The Hollywood Reporter,
25 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
That night, there was a mood of dismay in the dining hall.—
Sheila Heti,
The New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2025
-
Warner was not the only Democrat to express dismay over Turner’s ouster.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
16 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The breadth of information provided to residents came from a desire to help a grieving community learn answers and find who should be held accountable for the fear gripping the region, deputies said in the interview.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacramento Bee,
17 Jan. 2025
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And a little digging shows that the song wasn’t written until 1907 or recorded until 1909 — how could the grieving little girl possibly know it?—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Despite the humorous discouragement from her friends and family, Hurosky remains committed to her goal with a slight modification.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
10 Jan. 2025
-
This creates a cycle of guilt and discouragement that can quickly lead to burnout or abandoning the goal altogether.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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However, Anders suffered an illness during the weight cut that pushed him out, and the fight was delayed until the next month.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes,
17 Jan. 2025
-
Five weeks ago, Lions running back David Montgomery suffered what was feared to be a season-ending knee injury in a loss to the Buffalo Bills.—
Dan Wiederer,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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American flags are back to full-staff at the U.S. Capitol in honor of Donald Trump's inauguration, breaking from the U.S. flag code's guidelines for mourning a president.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
20 Jan. 2025
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Hollywood mourned the loss with an immeasurable heavy heart, with tributes pouring in from Ron Howard, Mulholland Drive star Lee Grant, Judd Apatow, Sting, Eli Roth and many, many others.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Inaugurations have been held in both joy and sorrow in the nation's capital and, infamously, on a plane in Dallas.—
James Powel,
USA TODAY,
18 Jan. 2025
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In a heartfelt statement from Truex's children – Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Truex, and Marsha McVey, the family shared their deep sorrow, paying tribute to their late father.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
18 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Others may become disengaged, hurting productivity, Yost said.—
Paul Davidson,
USA TODAY,
21 Jan. 2025
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Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramírez have lagged in voting, hurt by suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs.—
Ronald Blum,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near despair
Cite this Entry
“Despair.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despair. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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