Meaning & use
despair or dispair
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
A spelling check: 'despair' is the correct word; 'dispair' is a common misspelling of it.
Grammar: Use it when you are unsure which spelling to write; only 'despair' appears in dictionaries.
Patterns
- despair or dispair?
- spelled despair, not dispair
If you are asking 'despair or dispair', the answer is despair.
Many learners type 'dispair', but the correct spelling is despair.
She wrote 'dispair' in her essay and the teacher corrected it to despair.
noununcountable
The feeling of having lost all hope about something.
Grammar: Uncountable: say 'in despair' or 'a feeling of despair', not 'a despair'.
Patterns
- in despair
- despair at something
- a sense of despair
After months without work, he sank into despair.
Her despair at losing the farm was clear to everyone.
He gave up in despair and stopped trying.
verbintransitive
To stop hoping that something good will happen or that a situation will improve.
Grammar: No object; usually followed by 'of': despair of ever finding a job.
Patterns
- despair of something
- despair of doing something
She began to despair of ever passing the exam.
Do not despair; the situation may still improve.
He despaired of finding his lost keys.
Word forms
| third person singular | despairs |
|---|---|
| past tense | despaired |
| past participle | despaired |
| -ing form | despairing |
Common combinations
- in despair
- He walked the streets in despair after the rejection letter.
- a sense of despair
- A sense of despair spread through the office after the layoffs.
- despair of ever doing something
- They despaired of ever paying off the loan.
- cry out in despair
- She cried out in despair when she saw the damage.
- sheer despair
- It was sheer despair that made him stop trying.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hopelessness
- Describes the state of having no hope; despair is stronger and often shows deep emotional pain.
- despondency
- A formal word for low spirits and loss of hope; despair is more intense and final-sounding.
- gloom
- Suggests sadness and darkness rather than complete loss of hope; despair is stronger.
Opposites
Word family
- despairing adjective
- Showing despair: a despairing cry.
- despairingly adverb
- In a way that shows despair: he shook his head despairingly.
Commonly confused: despair or dispair or dispair? despair or dispair or desperate?
despair or dispair vs dispair
Not a real English word; it is a common misspelling of 'despair'. Always write despair.
despair or dispair vs desperate
Desperate means willing to do anything because of need; despair is the feeling of having no hope at all.
Practice
Which sentence uses the correct spelling and grammar?
Choose one answer.
'Despair of doing something' is the correct verb pattern, and 'despair' is the correct spelling. Option 0 uses the misspelling 'dispair'; option 2 uses 'to' instead of 'of'; option 3 uses 'despair' as an adjective, which it is not.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “despair or dispair”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.