despond 1 of 2

noun

Definition of despondnext
1
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits he sank into a crushing despond after his wife left him

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in despair
utter loss of hope loss of his job threw him into a deep despond

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despond

2 of 2

verb

di-ˈspänd How to pronounce despond (audio)
as in to despair
to lose all hope or confidence we must not despond even though we live in trying times

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of despond
Noun
Lonely and addicted to her social media feeds, Selena plunged into a deep despond and filmed her death-by-overdose on Snap. — Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2024 The slough of Mardenborough's despond comes towards the end of the film when a crash at the Nürburgring results in the death of a spectator. — Elana Scherr, Car and Driver, 11 Aug. 2023 Animal spirits might buoy up markets again, or investors might sink back into the sort of despond that ended 2015, but sentiment currently offers little guide. — James MacKintosh, WSJ, 20 Dec. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despond
  1. sadness
  2. despair
  3. depression
  4. desperation
  5. melancholy
  6. sorrow
  7. gloom
  8. mournfulness
Noun
  • For example, expressing appreciation for past help or thanking the doctor for their time was more helpful than emphasizing sadness or frustration.
    — Paul Hsieh, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • But our frustrations and inconvenience pale in comparison to the sadness of those who knew the deceased or to the trauma the drivers involved experienced.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • Along with a brief moment of tenderness Sara experiences with her class’s resident dork, this feminine camaraderie makes for a nugget of niceness in a sea of despair.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Yet the film’s firmest punch is packed in the despair and dignity of Sul’s performance, as a man coming to terms with how much he’s lost.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of despair
Noun
  • The glacier was likely a cirque glacier, the officials said, which is a glacier that has formed in a depression or basin high in the mountains.
    — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Sprague said the motive in the killings came down to giving Clancy a way out of her depression.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of depression
Noun
  • Newcastle caved at the last reckoning, spent in desperation and laboured in the Premier League, finishing 12th.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The regime's risk tolerance may be increasing, but so is its desperation.
    — Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of desperation
Noun
  • Beneath all the sensuality and beauty, there’s also a lingering melancholy that feels very familiar to me.
    — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 16 June 2026
  • Don Hertzfeldt occasionally comes to mind for a similarly pervasive mood of questioning, philosophical melancholy.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 12 June 2026
Definition of melancholy
Noun
  • The day ended in that same quad with feelings of sorrow, grief, shock and confusion.
    — PJ Green August 30, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Going back to the Mets example, perhaps in an uber-technical sense a Mets’ loss could have marginal economic impact as some fans guzzle more beer to drown away their sorrows.
    — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of sorrow
Noun
  • Bees avoid the gloom of the understory—with few flowers, there’s little to entice them—but wasps don’t mind it, and are attracted to the helleborines by the promise of an intoxicating nectar (itself made by a symbiosis with fungi).
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Amid the gloom, one local nonprofit group is working to celebrate iconic cartoons to support the animators of today — and remind people of the joy of animation.
    — Marah Eakin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of gloom
Noun
  • Power Ballad should be breezy and fun, with that twist of mournfulness that Carney is always so adept at pulling off.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 May 2026
Definition of mournfulness

Phrases Containing despond

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Cite this Entry

“Despond.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despond. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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