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

Despondent implies little hope; a brief disappointment may be better described as crestfallen.

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Test this word in the Comprehensive Synonym Exam

CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT

See despondent in use

The canceled exhibition left the young painter despondent.
Dictionary practice example.
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.
From Responding to Success and Setbacks.

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

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