despair
gb/dɪspˈɛɹ/ us/dɪspˈɛɹ/
B2
English
~ 1900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
state
1
total absence of hope
A feeling that there is no hope at all.
Usage pattern:
to be in despair
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'despair' with 'depression'; 'despair' is an immediate feeling of no hope, while 'depression' is a longer-term mental health condition.
Synonyms
hopelessness (More general term for lacking hope, not always as intense as 'despair'.)
Antonyms
hope (The opposite mental state, involving expectation of a positive outcome.)
Collocations
in despair
|fall into despair
|cry in despair
|deep despair
|total despair
Themes
emotions
|mental health
|life challenges
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- After losing his job, he fell into deep despair.
- She looked at the empty house in despair.
- The news filled them with despair about the future.
- He felt only despair when he thought about the situation.
- There was an air of despair in the room.
Learner examples
- She was in despair after the bad news.
- I felt despair when I lost my wallet.
- He sat in despair, not knowing what to do.
- The team was in despair after the game.
- They cried in despair when the plan failed.
Verb
B2
action
2
to give up hope completely
To stop hoping for something completely.
Usage pattern:
to despair of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may misuse 'despair' as a transitive verb ('despair something'), but it is usually intransitive or followed by 'of'.
Synonyms
give up hope (Informal phrase with the same meaning, less formal than 'despair'.)
Antonyms
hope (To expect or desire something to happen.)
Collocations
despair of success
|never despair
|begin to despair
|despair completely
Themes
emotions
|life challenges
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We must not despair, even in difficult times.
- She began to despair of ever finding her lost cat.
- He despaired when he saw the damage to his home.
- Don't despair; things will get better.
- Many despaired of reaching an agreement.
Learner examples
- Do not despair; you can still win.
- I began to despair of finding my phone.
- He will not despair even if it is hard.
- They despaired when the rain came.
- We must not despair in hard times.
Grammar
Dictionary form
despair
IPA
GB/dɪspˈɛɹ/
US/dɪspˈɛɹ/
Syllables & stress
des - pair (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (pair)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: despair
- Plural: despair
Verb
- Base: despair
- 3rd Person Singular: despairs
- Present Participle: despairing
- Past: despaired
Word family
Forms
despairs
verb
despairing
verb
despaired
verb
Related words
Advanced or less common
despairingly
adverb
Expressions
despair of
1/dɪspˈɛɹ əv/
fixed phrase
lose hope about something specific
To feel that there is no hope for a certain thing or situation.
Examples
- Many people despaired of finding survivors after the storm.
- I am beginning to despair of ever finishing this project.
in despair
1/ˈɪn dɪspˈɛɹ/
fixed phrase
feeling no hope at all
Feeling that there is no hope left.
Examples
- She sat on the floor in despair after hearing the news.
- He looked at me in despair, unsure what to do.
to the point of despair
1/tə ðə pˈɔɪnt əv dɪspˈɛɹ/
fixed phrase
reaching total hopelessness
Reaching a feeling where there is no hope at all.
Examples
- The constant failures drove him to the point of despair.
- She was pushed to the point of despair by the endless delays.