SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
despondency
noun
A state of deep discouragement or loss of hope.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Deep loss of hope
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topDespair is especially intense; ordinary low spirits may be much less severe than despondency.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See despondency in use
The rejection briefly brought despondency, but a new project restored her enthusiasm.
The reunion organizer's despondency deepened when she began to believe that years of preparation would end without the promised gathering.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license