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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

despair en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /dɪˈspɛɚ/ (Canada, General-American)
  • (California) audio
  • /dɪˈspeː(ɹ)/ (Australia)
  • /dɪˈspɛə(ɹ)/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English dispeir, from Anglo-Norman despeir and Old French desperer (from Latin dēspērō, dēspērāre), or desesperer, from des- (“dis-”) + esperer (“hope”). See also desperate. Displaced native Old English ormōdnes (“despair”) and Old English ortrīewan (“to despair”).

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) Loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency.
    • My daughter's behavior drives me to despair.
    • He turned around in despair, aware that he was not going to survive.
  2. (countable, uncountable) That which causes despair.
  3. (countable, uncountable) That which is despaired of.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
despairs Number=Plur lexicographic

Antonyms

respair · hope

Deriveds

self-despair · climate despair · pit of despair · disease of despair · despairful · counsel of despair · death of despair

Synonyms

despond · despondency · hopelessness · desperation · despondency · desperation · hopelessness · unhope · wanhope · despair

Translations (121)

fa-ira یَأْس (loss of hope) · mn цөхрөл (loss of hope) · be безнадзе́йнасць (loss of hope) · lt beviltiškumas (loss of hope) · th สิ้นหวัง (loss of hope) · la desperatio (loss of hope) · ja 失望 (loss of hope) · mi takaruretanga (loss of hope) · tg яъс (loss of hope) · bg отча́яние (loss of hope) · fr désespoir (loss of hope) · fa-ira مایوسی (loss of hope) · nb håpløshet (loss of hope) · be ро́спач (loss of hope) · ru отча́яние (loss of hope) · ru безнадёжность (loss of hope) · fy wanhope (loss of hope) · nl wanhoop (loss of hope) · uk ро́зпач (loss of hope) · az naümidlik (loss of hope) · ka უიმედობა (loss of hope) · uk ві́дчай (loss of hope) · uz noumidlik (loss of hope) · pl beznadziejność (loss of hope) · it disperazione (loss of hope) · cs beznaděj (loss of hope) · mi rāwakiwaki (loss of hope) · tk umytsyzlyk (loss of hope) · kk түңілушілік (loss of hope) · hu csüggedés (loss of hope) · hu kétségbeesés (loss of hope) · uz umidsizlik (loss of hope) · bn নিরাশা (loss of hope) · hy հուսալքություն (loss of hope) · sl brezupnost (loss of hope) · sq dëshpërim (loss of hope) · el απελπισία (loss of hope) · es desespero (loss of hope) · vi sự tuyệt vọng (loss of hope) · uk безнаді́йність (loss of hope) · eu etsipen (loss of hope) · hi निराशा (loss of hope) · sh bèznāđe (loss of hope) · da opgivelse (loss of hope) · nb desperasjon (loss of hope) · is örvilnun (loss of hope) · tr umutsuzluk (loss of hope) · ur یاس (loss of hope) · be безнадзе́йнасьць (loss of hope) · bg безнаде́ждност (loss of hope) · nb fortvilelse (loss of hope) · tt өметсезлек (loss of hope) · grc δυσθυμία (loss of hope) · da håbløshed (loss of hope) · hy հուսահատություն (loss of hope) · id putus asa (loss of hope) · ca desesperació (loss of hope) · te నిరాశ (loss of hope) · an desaspero (loss of hope) · de Verzweiflung (loss of hope) · et meeleheide (loss of hope) · pt desespero (loss of hope) · sv förtvivlan (loss of hope) · sv desperation (loss of hope) · uk розпу́ка (loss of hope) · sk beznádejnosť (loss of hope) · tg маъюсӣ (loss of hope) · fa-ira نُوْمیدی (loss of hope) · th ความสิ้นหวัง (loss of hope) · cmn 絕望 /绝望 (loss of hope) · sh очаја́ње (loss of hope) · et ahastus (loss of hope) · az ümidsizlik (loss of hope) · yi ייִאוש (loss of hope) · yue 絕望 /绝望 (loss of hope) · cs zoufalství (loss of hope) · ko 절망 (loss of hope) · fi epätoivo (loss of hope) · hi मायूसी (loss of hope) · sh бѐзна̄ђе (loss of hope) · kk үмітсіздік (loss of hope) · mk безнадежност (loss of hope) · ur مایُوسی (loss of hope) · kk торығушылық (loss of hope) · fa-ira نااُمیدی (loss of hope) · sl obup (loss of hope) · ky үмүтсүздүк (loss of hope) · ur نا اُمِّیدی (loss of hope) · tl kawalang-pag-asa (loss of hope) · ang ormōdnes (loss of hope) · he יֵאוּשׁ \ ייאוש (loss of hope) · lv bezcerība (loss of hope) · sv hopplöshet (loss of hope) · is örvænting (loss of hope) · eo malespero (loss of hope) · cs beznadějnost (loss of hope) · pl rozpacz (loss of hope) · ga éadóchas (loss of hope) · fa-ira یاس (loss of hope) · de Hoffnungslosigkeit (loss of hope) · ro desperare (loss of hope) · uk відча́й (loss of hope) · sk beznádej (loss of hope) · tg ноумедӣ (loss of hope) · ug ئۈمىدسىزلىك (loss of hope) · ar يَأْس (loss of hope) · sk zúfalstvo (loss of hope) · lt neviltis (loss of hope) · kmr bêhêvîtî (loss of hope) · hy վհատություն (loss of hope) · ru тлен (loss of hope) · io desespero (loss of hope) · ja 絶望 (loss of hope) · ka სასოწარკვეთილება (loss of hope) · fa-ira نااُمّیدی (loss of hope) · mk очај (loss of hope) · is örvinglun (loss of hope) · sh očajánje (loss of hope) · txb silñe (loss of hope) · lv izmisums (loss of hope) · pl beznadzieja (loss of hope)

despair en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /dɪˈspɛɚ/ (Canada, General-American)
  • (California) audio
  • /dɪˈspeː(ɹ)/ (Australia)
  • /dɪˈspɛə(ɹ)/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English dispeir, from Anglo-Norman despeir and Old French desperer (from Latin dēspērō, dēspērāre), or desesperer, from des- (“dis-”) + esperer (“hope”). See also desperate. Displaced native Old English ormōdnes (“despair”) and Old English ortrīewan (“to despair”).

Meanings

  1. (obsolete, transitive) To give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of.
    • I sometimes despair of getting anything quite simple and honest done in this world by the help of men. 1854 August 9, Henry D[avid] Thoreau, “Economy”, in Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC:
    • I would not despair the greatest design that could be attempted. 1644, John Milton, Areopagitica; a Speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicenc’d Printing, to the Parlament of England, London: [s.n.], →OCLC:
  2. (transitive) To cause to despair.
    • Thinking of what I was despairing about despaired me further 2019, Tim Dee, Landfill:
  3. (intransitive) To be hopeless; to have no hope; to give up all hope or expectation.
    • We despaired even of life. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Corinthians 1:8:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
despairing Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
despaired Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
despaired Tense=Past lexicographic
despairs Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic

Deriveds

despairer · compare and despair

Translations (69)

fi luopua toivosta (to be hopeless) · fi aiheuttaa epätoivoa (to cause to despair) · cmn 絕望 /绝望 (to despair of) · ro despera (to despair of) · ang ortrīewan (to despair of) · no fortvile over (to despair of) · it disperare (to be hopeless) · la dēspērō (to despair of) · de verzweifeln (to be hopeless) · mk очајува (to despair of) · io desesperigar (to cause to despair) · ar يَئِسَ (to be hopeless) · pt desesperar-se (to be hopeless) · mi takarure (to be hopeless) · grc ἀθυμέω (to be hopeless) · txb si-n- (to despair of) · it disperare (to despair of) · bg губя надежда (to be hopeless) · de zur Verzweiflung bringen (to cause to despair) · hu csügged (to despair of) · ro despera (to be hopeless) · es desesperarse (to be hopeless) · kk үміт үзу (to despair of) · kk үмітсіздену (to despair of) · zdj utsindza twamaa (to be hopeless) · kk түңілу (to despair of) · pl rozpaczać (to be hopeless) · lld vester gram (to despair of) · nl wanhopen (to be hopeless) · ru отча́иваться (to despair of) · no fortvile (to be hopeless) · ang ortrīewian (to be hopeless) · id berputus asa (to be hopeless) · es desesperanzarse (to be hopeless) · he התייאש (to despair of) · tl desperado (to be hopeless) · grc ἀπελπίζω (to be hopeless) · hu kétségbeesik (to despair of) · pt desesperar (to cause to despair) · kk торығу (to despair of) · ja 絶望する (to despair of) · gl desesperar (to be hopeless) · fr désespérer (to despair of) · bg отча́йвам се (to despair of) · fi menettää toivonsa (to be hopeless) · fr désespérer (to be hopeless) · sv misströsta (to despair of) · sv förtvivla (to despair of) · nl tot wanhoop drijven (to cause to despair) · mk очајува (to be hopeless) · hy հուսահատվել (to be hopeless) · hu elcsüggeszt (to cause to despair) · ka სასოწარკვეთა (to cause to despair) · sv förtvivla (to be hopeless) · es desesperanzar (to cause to despair) · is örvænta (to be hopeless) · eo malesperi (to be hopeless) · ru отча́яться (to despair of) · cs zoufat (to be hopeless) · hu elcsügged (to despair of) · ja 諦める (to despair of) · sw kukata tamaa (to be hopeless) · de verzweifeln (to despair of) · bg отчайвам (to cause to despair) · io desesperar (to despair of) · he ייאש (to cause to despair) · de die Hoffnung aufgeben (to be hopeless) · el απελπίζομαι (to be hopeless) · pt desesperar-se (to despair of)