despair

despair — noun

1. The strong feeling that a situation will never improve and that all efforts to c

1.nounB2
Definition

The strong feeling that a situation will never improve and that all efforts to change it are useless — as when someone you love has a dangerous illness and the doctors say they cannot help.

Example

When the doctors told Asher the treatment had not worked, he was filled with despair.

collocation: filled with despair

Deep despair settled over the village when the drought destroyed the crops.

collocation: deep despair

Common collocations
  • deep despair
  • utter despair
  • total despair
  • in despair
  • filled with despair
  • cry of despair
  • drive someone to despair
  • moment of despair
Synonyms
  • hopelessness

    the same core feeling, but less intense and more cognitive than emotional

  • despondency

    a formal term for low spirits and loss of confidence; less severe than despair and more temporary

  • misery

    emphasises physical or emotional suffering rather than the absence of hope

  • gloom

    the mildest of the group, often used to describe a sad atmosphere rather than a person's deep feeling

Antonyms
  • hope

    the belief that things can improve

Grammar Patterns

in despair

despair of something

cry/shout/sigh of despair

drive someone to despair

Common Mistakes

I have a despair about my future.
I feel despair about my future.
'Despair' is an uncountable noun and is not normally used with 'a'.

2. A person or thing that causes so much difficulty or worry that others feel hopel

2.nounB2
Definition

A person or thing that causes so much difficulty or worry that others feel hopeless or unable to cope.

Example

That maths exam is the despair of every student in the class.

pattern: the despair of [group]

Sayaka's younger brother is the despair of his teachers with his constant talking.

pattern: the despair of [person]

Common collocations
  • the despair of the family
  • the despair of the team
  • the despair of teachers
  • the despair of parents
Synonyms
  • curse

    more informal; suggests a person or thing that brings persistent trouble

  • scourge

    more formal and dramatic; describes something that causes widespread suffering

Grammar Patterns

the despair of [somebody/something]

Usage Note

Frequently used in the fixed pattern 'the despair of [person/group]' to describe someone or something that causes hopelessness in the people mentioned.

Common Mistakes

He is a despair to his parents.
He is the despair of his parents.
This sense always uses the definite article 'the', not 'a'.
Idioms

be the despair of somebody

idiom

To cause someone to feel worried or unhappy because they cannot help or improve the situation.

Her constant lateness was the despair of her manager.

The messy room was the despair of his mother.

a counsel of despair

idiom

Advice that suggests giving up because a task seems too difficult.

Calling the project impossible is a counsel of despair.

His suggestion to quit was a counsel of despair.

despair — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe negative emotional states, but they differ in scope and intensity. Hopelessness is the closest synonym to despair and focuses specifically on the belief that nothing will improve — it is less intense than despair and more cognitive. Misery emphasises physical and emotional suffering or great unhappiness, often linked to painful circumstances rather than a lack of hope — for example, the misery of living with chronic pain. Despondency is a formal term for a state of low spirits and loss of confidence, less severe than despair and more temporary — a string of job rejections might cause despondency rather than full despair. Gloom suggests a sad, pessimistic mood or atmosphere; it is the mildest of the four and is often used to describe the feeling in a room or group rather than an individual's deep emotional state. Example: 'After the accident, she sat in total despair, unable to imagine any future' — here only despair fits, because gloom or despondency would be too mild for the situation described.

hopelessness ↗misery ↗despondencygloom ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • cry of despair
  • sigh of despair
  • despair of
  • drive to despair

Prepositions

  • in despair
  • of despair
  • with despair

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Despair entered English through Old French 'despoir', which came from the Latin verb 'desperare' — a combination of the prefix 'de-' (meaning 'away from' or 'without') and 'sperare' (meaning 'to hope'). So the original meaning was literally 'to be without hope'. The word has been in use in English since the 1300s.