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despairing

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verb

present participle of despair

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective despairing differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of despairing are desperate, despondent, and hopeless. While all these words mean "having lost all or nearly all hope," despairing suggests the slipping away of all hope and often despondency.

despairing appeals for the return of the kidnapped child

When is it sensible to use desperate instead of despairing?

While the synonyms desperate and despairing are close in meaning, desperate implies despair that prompts reckless action or violence in the face of defeat or frustration.

one last desperate attempt to turn the tide of battle

When might despondent be a better fit than despairing?

While in some cases nearly identical to despairing, despondent implies a deep dejection arising from a conviction of the uselessness of further effort.

despondent about yet another rejection

Where would hopeless be a reasonable alternative to despairing?

The synonyms hopeless and despairing are sometimes interchangeable, but hopeless suggests despair and the cessation of effort or resistance and often implies acceptance or resignation.

the situation of the trapped miners is hopeless

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of despairing
Adjective
On April 3, 1968, the day before he was assassinated, Dr. King delivered a sermon in Memphis that offered a blunt assessment of a broken and despairing world. Clyde McGrady, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025 There’s no shortage of things to feel negative, overwhelmed, despairing about. Kristin Auble, Vogue, 31 Dec. 2024
Verb
These are the people who, despairing of finding their way out honestly, simply smash and bash their way through the corn willy-nilly. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2024 Meme-makers across America are despairing right now. Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for despairing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despairing
Adjective
  • There are so many hopeless people out there struggling right now financially and with providing for their families.
    Jordan Greene, People.com, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Sabah had a hopeless prognosis: severe brain edema.
    Ayesha Khan, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The prospect return likely won't be huge if the Cardinals get desperate, though.
    Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
  • When her undercover operations reveal alarming evidence that a high-ranking U.K. politician may be a Russian asset, Kate finds herself in a desperate race to uncover their identity.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The Christmas Eve shooting also devastated the still-grieving Oxford community, where a teenage gunman went on a rampage at Oxford High School in November 2021, killing four classmates and seven others, including a teacher.
    Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 29 Dec. 2024
  • Ward, 28, missed four games while grieving her death.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 29 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • While his Late Night forerunner Letterman was probably the comedic polestar of Generation X—gruff, cynical, and biting the hand that fed—O’Brien became a bedrock influence for the next generation of Millennial comics.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2025
  • And because Disney remakes of one sort or another just keep coming, from Mulan to Pinocchio to The Little Mermaid, the temptation to be cynical about them is enormous.
    Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Despite that success, Willard was unhappy with the program’s financial commitments.
    Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2025
  • If Amazon is unhappy with season 2 of Citadel and season 1 was not all the great to begin with, this idea that the series is going to launch into some popular, sprawling spy universe for the service seems in doubt.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Under the hood, your body is often suffering from dehydration and inflammation.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
  • Anyway, Asma is now suffering terribly, according to reports.
    Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Yet, whatever the deal means for Paul, Weiss, its acquiescence to Trump marks a sad day for the legal profession—or what once was a profession, and is now just another business.
    Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Kwong grew up hearing stories of every kind about Manzanar—scary, sad, funny and infuriating.
    Rachel Ng, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Many people responded not by mourning Thompson, but by blaming UnitedHealthcare and other insurers for failing to pay for essential medical treatments.
    Jay Feinman, The Conversation, 6 Jan. 2025
  • Despite Edward’s mother still in mourning after the death of her husband Prince Albert, the young couple ushered in contemporary art, opulent balls and society events, which King George V and Queen Mary took charge of successfully.
    Hikmat Mohammed, WWD, 6 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Despairing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despairing. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

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