despondent
dih-SPON-dunt
/dɪˈspɒn.dənt/
In low spirits from loss of hope or courage; utterly disheartened.
Emphasizes a loss of hope and moral courage following defeat or disappointment.
The story behind the word. In Roman law, 'spondere' meant to promise or betroth formally. Adding the prefix 'de-' (away) yielded 'despondere'—literally to give up hope or give away one's spirit completely.
Word relationships
- dejected: Dejected emphasizes spiritlessness resulting from a specific rejection.
- disheartened: Disheartened implies a loss of determination or enthusiasm.
- hopeful: Hopeful implies optimism and expectation of success.
- elated: Elated means filled with pride and extreme joy.
Commonly confused with
- desolate: Despondent describes an emotional state of hopeless sorrow, while desolate often refers to ruined, empty places or intense loneliness.
Word family
- despondency (noun): A state of low spirits caused by loss of hope.
- despondently (adverb): In a despondent manner.
Collocations
- deeply despondent
- despondent mood
- grow despondent
- despondent tone
Idioms & expressions
- down in the dumps
Example sentences
- "The team sat despondent in the locker room after losing the final match in the closing seconds." Sports commentary
- "He grew despondent as months passed without any reply to his job applications." Literary fiction
Memory hook
If your RESPONDENT at a debate gives up and drops the mic, they are feeling despondent. Pledging away your hope.
When not to use
Do not use for momentary irritation or light boredom.
Fun facts
- John Bunyan popularized the 'Slough of Despond' in Pilgrim's Progress as a deep bog representing spiritual despair.
Related words
Explore more words
despair, bleak, desolate, defeatist, devastation, disillusioned
Also appears in
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.