Meaning & use
despair
A complete loss of hope, often leading to a feeling of hopelessness.
See it in a sentence
She felt a wave of despair after losing her job for the second time that year.
Despite their despair, the rescuers refused to give up the search.
A note on using this word
Stronger than ordinary sadness or disappointment; suggests a total absence of hope.
Words with a similar meaning
hopelessnessdesperation
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
hopeoptimism
Another way to use it
2. verb
To lose all hope that a situation will improve.
Do not despair; there is still time to fix the mistake.
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