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despair

verb
/dɪˈspɛə(ɹ)/UK/dɪˈspɛɚ/CA/dɪˈspeː(ɹ)/

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”).

  1. derived from despero
  2. derived from desperer
  3. derived from despeir
  4. inherited from dispeir

Definitions

  1. To give up as beyond hope or expectation

    To give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of.

    • I would not despair the greatest design that could be attempted.
    • I sometimes despair of getting anything quite simple and honest done in this world by the help of men.

  2. To cause to despair.

    • Thinking of what I was despairing about despaired me further

  3. To be hopeless

    To be hopeless; to have no hope; to give up all hope or expectation.

    • We despaired even of life.
  4. ›+ 3 more definitions

    1. Loss of hope

      Loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency.

      • He turned around in despair, aware that he was not going to survive.
      • My daughter's behavior drives me to despair.

    2. That which causes despair.

    3. That which is despaired of.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for despair. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA