noun / verb
despair
dih-SPAIR/dɪˈsper/
Complete loss of hope.
The person slumps in despair beside the collapsed model boat.
Etymology
Here the prefix removes rather than intensifies: hoping becomes being without hope. The noun names that condition of hopelessness, preserving the central meaning of the underlying verb.
In context
so joram is in complete despair jehoshaphat has complete hope and trust
More examples
- She refused to give in to despair.
- They despaired of ever finding the lost dog.
- A small sign of progress lifted their despair.
Forms
despair · despairs · despaired · despairing
despairing adjective — without hope
Similar words
- hopelessness
- The ordinary equivalent.
- despondency
- A state of deep discouragement.