1
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits
he sank into a crushing despond after his wife left him
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in despair
utter loss of hope
loss of his job threw him into a deep despond
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to despair
to lose all hope or confidence
we must not despond even though we live in trying times
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of despond
Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2024
The slough of Mardenborough's despond comes towards the end of the film when a crash at the Nürburgring results in the death of a spectator.
—Elana Scherr, Car and Driver, 11 Aug. 2023
Their partnership—in fighting Communism and reviving the U.S. economy after the despond of the 1970s—changed American debate.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 1 Oct. 2020
On its best nights, the N.B.A. offers a free-jazz apex, as good teams (none of which are found within hundreds of miles of that basketball despond in New York City) offer jukes and passes and shooting.
—Michael Powell, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2016
Noun
Lonely and addicted to her social media feeds, Selena plunged into a deep despond and filmed her death-by-overdose on Snap.
—Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2024
The slough of Mardenborough's despond comes towards the end of the film when a crash at the Nürburgring results in the death of a spectator.
—Elana Scherr, Car and Driver, 11 Aug. 2023
Their partnership—in fighting Communism and reviving the U.S. economy after the despond of the 1970s—changed American debate.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 1 Oct. 2020
On its best nights, the N.B.A. offers a free-jazz apex, as good teams (none of which are found within hundreds of miles of that basketball despond in New York City) offer jukes and passes and shooting.
—Michael Powell, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despond
Noun
-
Relieved of their blindfolds, the men now wore heavy rucksacks filled with colored rocks representing their anger (red), guilt and shame (black), and sadness (blue).—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Reaction to the news Monday that the Connecticut Sun WNBA team is officially being moved to Houston was of sadness and regret in Connecticut, especially amongst those who had tried to keep the professional women’s basketball team in the state over the last year.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The festival hopes to encourage artists and fans to turn to comedy, theater, creativity and community instead of despair.—
Candace Hansen,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Resisting despair, both private and social, has long been central to Lerner’s mission.—
Giles Harvey,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Growing up on a farm in Wabasha, Minnesota, one of 18 children, Bea milked cows and attended a one-room schoolhouse during the great depression.—
Irene Gonzalez,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Hoang models the potential sales of these drugs by using Johnson & Johnson's Spravato, an intranasal ketamine derivative first approved to address treatment-resistant depression in 2019 , as a case study.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Whether firing Cassidy was an act of desperation or necessity or somewhere in between, all the focus will be on Tortorella's ability to maximize what management clearly believes is a roster capable of competing for a championship.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Blackouts and economic collapse have sparked widespread desperation in Cuba, with citizens openly protesting the government despite decades of political repression.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The film’s empathetic interest in individual, often eccentric human lives gives it a warmth that overrides the underlying melancholy of the material, making for a pleasingly unsentimental crowdpleaser.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Some acknowledged the possibility that melancholy could be inherited.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Of those witnesses, only one testified to seeing Tex show any signs of sorrow.—
Lauren A. White,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Redemptive suffering Shared sorrow is a key part of Iran’s Twelver Shiite identity, which venerates the Prophet Muhammad’s family through daughter Fatima and cousin and son-in-law, Ali.—
Mary Thurlkill,
The Conversation,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Amid the doom and gloom of news coverage, audiences are hungry for wholesome feel-good content like animal videos.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
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According to Cramer, the street chose to focus on the doom and gloom of rising oil prices, disregarding Wednesday's pullback.—
Natasha Abellard,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Despond.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despond. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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