What is the meaning of despair?

noun

  • A state in which all hope is lost or absent.
    • usage: "in the depths of despair"; "they were rescued from despair at the last minute"; "courage born of desperation"
  • The feeling that everything is wrong and nothing will turn out well.
    • usage: "they moaned in despair and dismay"; "one harsh word would send her into the depths of despair"

verb

  • Abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart.
    • usage: "Don't despair-help is on the way"
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
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APAWordNet. (2010). Despair. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/despair/definitions/1220233
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "Despair" http://smartdefine.org/despair/definitions/1220233 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, Despair, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/despair/definitions/1220233>.
MLAWordNet. "Despair" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/despair/definitions/1220233>
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