Meaning & use
nil desperandum
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Meaning
phrasefixed phraseformalliterary
A Latin expression used to tell someone not to lose hope, even when things are going badly.
Grammar: Used on its own as an exclamation or encouragement: Nil desperandum, we will try again.
Patterns
- say nil desperandum
We lost the first game, but nil desperandum, there are four more to play.
His motto was nil desperandum, and he never gave up on his dream.
Nil desperandum, my friend, the next interview will go better.
Common combinations
- nil desperandum, everyone
- Nil desperandum, everyone, the rain will stop soon.
- adopt a nil desperandum attitude
- The team adopted a nil desperandum attitude after the loss.
- the motto nil desperandum
- The school chose the motto nil desperandum.
- a nil desperandum spirit
- Her nil desperandum spirit impressed the coach.
Synonyms and how they differ
- keep your chin up
- Keep your chin up is a casual English idiom, while nil desperandum is a formal Latin phrase.
- don't give up
- Don't give up is plain and direct, whereas nil desperandum sounds learned and slightly humorous.
- chin up
- Chin up is short and informal, and lacks the scholarly tone of nil desperandum.
Opposites
Word family
- despair noun
- complete loss of hope
- despair verb
- to lose all hope
- desperate adjective
- having lost hope or needing something badly
- desperation noun
- the state of feeling desperate
Commonly confused: nil desperandum or carpe diem?
nil desperandum vs carpe diem
Carpe diem means seize the day, while nil desperandum means do not despair; both are Latin mottos but give different advice.
Practice
What does the Latin phrase nil desperandum tell you to do?
Choose one answer.
Nil desperandum means do not despair. Seize the moment is carpe diem, a different Latin motto.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “nil desperandum”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.