SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
despondent
adjective
Very discouraged and without much hope.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Deeply discouraged
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topDespondent implies little hope; a brief disappointment may be better described as crestfallen.
RELATED FORMS, ONE FEATURED ENTRY
The despondent family
These forms are closely related, but their grammar and use are not identical. Expand a form to compare its meaning and examples.
despondencynoun
A state of deep discouragement or loss of hope.
Deep loss of hope
Closest synonyms
Related expressions
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.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See despondent in use
The canceled exhibition left the young painter despondent.
At the next workshop, Hana noticed that Tomas looked dejected after learning that his submission had not been selected. He became despondent while discussing it, saying that the decision seemed to show there was no point in trying another venue.
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