despondent

despondent
adjective Etymology: Latin despondent-, despondens, present participle of despondēre Date: circa 1699 feeling or showing extreme discouragement, dejection, or depression <
despondent about his health
>
despondently adverb Synonyms: despondent, despairing, desperate, hopeless mean having lost all or nearly all hope. despondent implies a deep dejection arising from a conviction of the uselessness of further effort <
despondent about yet another rejection
>
. despairing suggests the slipping away of all hope and often despondency <
despairing appeals for the return of the kidnapped child
>
. desperate implies despair that prompts reckless action or violence in the face of defeat or frustration <
one last desperate attempt to turn the tide of battle
>
. hopeless suggests despair and the cessation of effort or resistance and often implies acceptance or resignation <
the situation of the trapped miners is hopeless
>
.

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • despondent — adj Despondent, despairing, desperate, hopeless, forlorn mean having lost all or practically all hope. The same distinctions in implications and connotations are to be found in their corresponding nouns despondency, despair, desperation,… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Despondent — De*spond ent, a. [L. despondens, entis, p. pr. of despond[=e]re.] Marked by despondence; given to despondence; low spirited; as, a despondent manner; a despondent prisoner. {De*spond ent*ly}, adv. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • despondent — I adjective aggrieved, beaten, defeated, defeatist, dejected, depressed, desolate, despairing, disconsolate, dismal, dispirited, dolorous, downcast, dreary, gloomy, hopeless, in despair, inconsolable, joyless, listless, lugubrious, melancholic,… …   Law dictionary

  • despondent — 1690s, from L. despondentem (nom. despondens), prp. of despondere (see DESPONDENCE (Cf. despondence)). Related: Despondently (1670s) …   Etymology dictionary

  • despondent — [adj] depressed all torn up*, blue*, bummed out*, cast down, dejected, despairing, disconsolate, discouraged, disheartened, dispirited, doleful, down, downcast, downhearted, forlorn, gloomy, glum, griefstricken, grieving, hopeless, in a blue… …   New thesaurus

  • despondent — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ in low spirits from loss of hope or courage. DERIVATIVES despondency noun despondently adverb. ORIGIN from Latin despondere give up, abandon …   English terms dictionary

  • despondent — [di spän′dənt] adj. [L despondens, prp. of despondere: see DESPOND] filled with despondency; dejected SYN. HOPELESS despondently adv …   English World dictionary

  • despondent — adj. VERBS ▪ be, feel ▪ Patients often feel despondent. ▪ become, get, grow ▪ His work was rejected again and again, and he grew more and more despondent …   Collocations dictionary

  • despondent — adj. despondent about, over * * * [dɪs pɒndənt] benevolent enlightened despondent over despot it. an absolute despondent about …   Combinatory dictionary

  • despondent — de|spon|dent [dıˈspɔndənt US dıˈspa:n ] adj [Date: 1600 1700; : Latin; Origin: despondere to give up, lose hope , from spondere to promise ] extremely unhappy and without hope ▪ Gill had been out of work for a year and was getting very despondent …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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