1
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits
her slumping posture betrayed a growing despondence
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in desperation
utter loss of hope
the ability to endure defeat without despondence has allowed him to weather the ups and downs of an acting career
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Recent Examples of despondence
Emitting a combination of anger, frustration, and despondence, the University of Utah’s fifth-year junior quarterback was 15 minutes removed from throwing a back-breaking interception in the end zone that helped seal a 29-26 University of Florida win at The Swamp.
—
Josh Newman, The Salt Lake Tribune, 4 Sep. 2022
My pandemic weariness turned into despondence.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2021
Baade, who remembers his own father’s despondence when the Braves left town, doesn’t outright dismiss the idea that the Brewers could leave, agreeing that a smaller-market team is at a disadvantage.
—Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2023
Amy's behavior demonstrates how scoring high in each of these components facilitates a flexible, confident and passionate approach to life and ensures a strong degree of resiliency when faced with anxiety, despondence and overwhelm.
—Roberta Moore, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2023
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recalls his own quiet despondence when Dallas began the season not only with a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but a five-game loss of quarterback Dak Prescott to a thumb fracture.
—Dallas News, 30 Oct. 2022
Both question the human costs of work, zooming in on the affects—despondence, alienation, indifference—that businesses produce alongside goods and services.
—Stephen Kearse, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2022
In Ohio on Monday night, though, Trump used the misstatements to project confidence and ward off any despondence among supporters in the face of polls that continue to show Biden with a solid lead nationwide.
—Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, 23 Sep. 2020
And whether through aloofness or despondence, 27 percent said none of the words offered matched their feelings.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2019
Josh Newman, The Salt Lake Tribune, 4 Sep. 2022
My pandemic weariness turned into despondence.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2021
Baade, who remembers his own father’s despondence when the Braves left town, doesn’t outright dismiss the idea that the Brewers could leave, agreeing that a smaller-market team is at a disadvantage.
—Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2023
Amy's behavior demonstrates how scoring high in each of these components facilitates a flexible, confident and passionate approach to life and ensures a strong degree of resiliency when faced with anxiety, despondence and overwhelm.
—Roberta Moore, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2023
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recalls his own quiet despondence when Dallas began the season not only with a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but a five-game loss of quarterback Dak Prescott to a thumb fracture.
—Dallas News, 30 Oct. 2022
Both question the human costs of work, zooming in on the affects—despondence, alienation, indifference—that businesses produce alongside goods and services.
—Stephen Kearse, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2022
In Ohio on Monday night, though, Trump used the misstatements to project confidence and ward off any despondence among supporters in the face of polls that continue to show Biden with a solid lead nationwide.
—Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, 23 Sep. 2020
And whether through aloofness or despondence, 27 percent said none of the words offered matched their feelings.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despondence
Noun
-
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
-
The mental benefits of dancing are also well studied, improving mood and alleviating symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
26 Jan. 2025
-
From his research came a prescription: A nation plagued with heart disease, diabetes, depression and an addiction crisis was — more than anything else — in need of community.—
Rachel Kraus,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
But they must not, in the course of their ordeal, be encouraged to adopt the kind of cynicism, the kind of despair, the kind of iconoclasm that is urged upon them by Mr. Baldwin in his recent works.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Feb. 2025
-
Ono’s despair was compounded by the fact that Lennon was unable to secure a U.S. visa due to a narcotics conviction in 1968.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
1 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Blues music is a sound created by Black people to describe the melancholy of lives lived in the margins.—
Ira Porter,
The Christian Science Monitor,
28 Jan. 2025
-
Instead, Presence sends you off in a cloud of gentle melancholy.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
TIME,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Her name brings profound joy and hope & her passing leaves painful tears and sorrow.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA TODAY,
31 Jan. 2025
-
So safe, in fact, that an entire generation of Americans has come of age without knowing the feeling of sorrow and instability that such disasters always bring.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near despondence
Cite this Entry
“Despondence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despondence. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
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