despair meaning

UK /dɪˈspɛə/ US /dɪˈspɛr/ 2 syllables

despair (noun): a state in which all hope is lost or absent.

despair has 3 meanings in this dictionary, as noun and verb.

despair as a noun

  1. a state in which all hope is lost or absent
    • in the depths of despair
    • they were rescued from despair at the last minute
    • courage born of desperation

    Synonyms: desperation

    Type of: condition

  2. the feeling that everything is wrong and nothing will turn out well
    • they moaned in despair and dismay
    • one harsh word would send her into the depths of despair

    Opposite: hope

    Type of: feeling

    Kinds: hopelessness, resignation, discouragement, pessimism

despair as a verb

  1. abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart
    • Don't despair--help is on the way!

    Opposite: hope

    Kinds: despond

    Related forms: desperation, desperate

How to pronounce despair

despair is pronounced /dɪˈspɛə/ in British English and /dɪˈspɛr/ in American English. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.

Words that rhyme with despair

Scrabble score: 10 (letter breakdown)

Word lists: words starting with DE · words ending in IR · 7-letter words

More about despair on Wikipedia.