DESPAIR

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does despair mean? 

• DESPAIR (noun)
  The noun DESPAIR has 2 senses:

1. a state in which all hope is lost or absent

2. the feeling that everything is wrong and nothing will turn out well

  Familiarity information: DESPAIR used as a noun is rare.

• DESPAIR (verb)
  The verb DESPAIR has 1 sense:

1. abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart

  Familiarity information: DESPAIR used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DESPAIR (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A state in which all hope is lost or absent

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

despair; desperation

Context example:

courage born of desperation

Hypernyms ("despair" is a kind of...):

condition; status (a state at a particular time)

Derivation:

despair (abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The feeling that everything is wrong and nothing will turn out well

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Context example:

one harsh word would send her into the depths of despair

Hypernyms ("despair" is a kind of...):

feeling (the experiencing of affective and emotional states)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "despair"):

hopelessness (the despair you feel when you have abandoned hope of comfort or success)

resignation; surrender (acceptance of despair)

discouragement; disheartenment; dismay (the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles)

pessimism (the feeling that things will turn out badly)

Antonym:

hope (the general feeling that some desire will be fulfilled)

Derivation:

despair (abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart)

• DESPAIR (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they despair    ... he / she / it despairs   
Past simple: despaired   
Past participle: despaired   
-ing form: despairing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Context example:

Don't despair--help is on the way!

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "despair"):

despond (lose confidence or hope; become dejected)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence examples:

Sam and Sue despair
Sam and Sue despair over the results of the experiment

Antonym:

hope (be optimistic; be full of hope; have hopes)

Derivation:

despair (the feeling that everything is wrong and nothing will turn out well)

despair (a state in which all hope is lost or absent)

desperate (a person who is frightened and in need of help)

desperation (a state in which all hope is lost or absent)

 Context examples 

She gave it up, and I heard her scream in a way that cut me to the soul, for it was a woman’s scream of fear and heart-breaking despair.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

When I saw how many were waiting, I would have given it up in despair; but Spaulding would not hear of it.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Beppo did not despair, and he conducted his search with considerable ingenuity and perseverance.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“What shall I ever do!” she said, fighting thus with her despair.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I thought and thought what should be my next move, but my brain seemed on fire, and I waited with a despairing feeling growing over me.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

There was such earnestness, such despair, in her manner that her words arrested me, and I stood irresolute before the door.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I know not; despair had not yet taken possession of me; my feelings were those of rage and revenge.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

The weak man becomes strong when he has nothing, for then only can he feel the wild, mad thrill of despair.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He fired, and I shrieked in despair. ‘He’s hit!

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

My first impulse was one of despair, but my second was towards joy.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)