Dictionary

despondency en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /dɪˈspɒndənsi/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Latin dēspondentia, from dēspondēns + -ia. Equivalent to despondent + -ency.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The loss of hope or confidence; despair or dejection.
   • Not everyone succumbed to such nostalgia and despondency. Some saw the existential threat to Scots as a call to document what remained. 2023, Clive Young, “chapter three: From Union to Devolution”, in Unlocking Scots: The Secret Life of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Luath Press Limited, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 93:
2. (countable, uncountable) A feeling of depression or disheartenment.
   • He kissed her brow, and left her. She watched him unconsciously, till the winding walk hid him from her sight, and then sank back on her seat, every nerve relaxing from its high-strained excitement into utter and still despondency. 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XV, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 127:

Forms

Synonyms

dolefulness · dejection · forlornness · misery · distress · despondency · hopelessness · despair · melancholia · downheartedness · despond · wanhope · tristesse · melancholy · sadness · infelicity · unhope · woefare · crestfallenness · blues · prosternation · blueness · mirthless · wretchedness · ruth · sorrow · sorrowfulness · rue · desperation · mishappiness · drearihead · tristfulness · depression · unhappiness · regret · grief · sorrow · melancholy · ill-being · desperation · despondency · woe · mourn · heartsore · despair · undelight

Translations (79)

la maeror (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · it abbattimento (loss of hope or confidence) · bg отчаяние (loss of hope or confidence) · ca desesper (loss of hope or confidence) · mk мало́душност (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · mi takaruretanga (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · no motløshet (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · it sconforto (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · el αθυμία (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · txb silñe (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · pl beznadzieja (loss of hope or confidence) · tl paghihinayo (loss of hope or confidence) · tr cesaretsizlik (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · no mistrøstighet (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · mi takaruretanga (loss of hope or confidence) · mk безна́дежност (loss of hope or confidence) · ga gruaim (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · ga anaoibh (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · bg безнадеждност (loss of hope or confidence) · da modløshed (loss of hope or confidence) · mk о́чај (loss of hope or confidence) · grc δυσθυμία (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · es descorazonamiento (loss of hope or confidence) · es desesperación (loss of hope or confidence) · ro mâhnire (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · tr umutsuzluk (loss of hope or confidence) · mi rāwakiwaki (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · cs malomyslnost (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · tl paghihinayo (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · nl radeloosheid (loss of hope or confidence) · pl zwątpienie (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · da modløshed (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · ru уныние (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · no nedtrykking (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · grc δυσθυμία (loss of hope or confidence) · fi lannistuneisuus (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · it abbattimento (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · fi masennus (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · ca abatiment (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · no nedtrykthet (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · nl wanhoop (loss of hope or confidence) · de Verzagen (loss of hope or confidence) · ca desànim (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · rgn abatimént (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · fi toivottomuus (loss of hope or confidence) · el αθυμία (loss of hope or confidence) · de Niedergeschlagenheit (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · pl zniechęcenie (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · fi epätoivo (loss of hope or confidence) · fi apeus (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · it scoraggiamento (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · tl hinayo (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · fr désespoir (loss of hope or confidence) · pl zniechęcenie (loss of hope or confidence) · rgn abatimént (loss of hope or confidence) · de Mutlosigkeit (loss of hope or confidence) · bg униние (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · mi ngākau pōuri (loss of hope or confidence) · nl wanhoop (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · tl hinayo (loss of hope or confidence) · sv modlöshet (loss of hope or confidence) · fr abattement (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · ca desesperació (loss of hope or confidence) · ro melancolie (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · de Verzweiflung (loss of hope or confidence) · ru отчаянье (loss of hope or confidence) · tr ümitsizlik (loss of hope or confidence) · nl radeloosheid (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · sv hopplöshet (loss of hope or confidence) · no mismot (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · mi ngākau pōuri (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · ru отчаянье (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · de Verzagtheit (loss of hope or confidence) · ro disperare (loss of hope or confidence) · es desesperanza (loss of hope or confidence) · de Mutlosigkeit (a feeling of depression or disheartenment) · cs malomyslnost (loss of hope or confidence) · ru упадок духа (loss of hope or confidence) · la maestitia (a feeling of depression or disheartenment)