HOPELESSNESS

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does hopelessness mean? 

• HOPELESSNESS (noun)
  The noun HOPELESSNESS has 1 sense:

1. the despair you feel when you have abandoned hope of comfort or success

  Familiarity information: HOPELESSNESS used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HOPELESSNESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The despair you feel when you have abandoned hope of comfort or success

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

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

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

Antonym:

hopefulness (the feeling you have when you have hope)

Derivation:

hopeless (without hope because there seems to be no possibility of comfort or success)

hopeless (of a person unable to do something skillfully)

 Context examples 

Other symptoms of depression include feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness, loss of pleasure in activities, changes in eating or sleeping habits, and thoughts of death or suicide.

(Depression, NCI Dictionary)

Walt's striking-muscles relaxed, and his shoulders seemed to droop with hopelessness.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Without moving and being part of the yeast there would be no hopelessness.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Knowing the utter hopelessness of attracting his attention from that distance, I made bold to open the gate, and walk after him, so as to meet him when he should turn round.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Martin had intended to reply, but he was struck by the hopelessness of it.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

During periods of depressed mood, at least 2 of the following additional symptoms are present: poor appetite or overeating, insomnia or hypersomnia, low energy or fatigue, low self esteem, poor concentration or difficulty making decisions, and feelings of hopelessness.

(Dysthymic Disorder, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

But in this case, Anne had left nothing for advice to do; and though Lady Russell, as satisfied as ever with her own discretion, never wished the past undone, she began now to have the anxiety which borders on hopelessness for Anne's being tempted, by some man of talents and independence, to enter a state for which she held her to be peculiarly fitted by her warm affections and domestic habits.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

“But the hopelessness of it,” I protested.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

But now he had seen that world, possible and real, with a flower of a woman called Ruth in the midmost centre of it; and thenceforth he must know bitter tastes, and longings sharp as pain, and hopelessness that tantalized because it fed on hope.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

He was sitting on the side of his bunk, the whole pose of his figure indicating utter dejection and hopelessness.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)