HOPELESSNESS Synonyms: 77 Similar and Opposite Words

hopelessness

noun

Definition of hopelessness

as in desperation

utter loss of hope the fans' hopelessness was dispelled as their team mounted a comeback

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Recent Examples of hopelessness These proposals, many times rooted in sympathy and love, were presented as alternatives to the political structures and market logic that had so often led to war, exploitation, hopelessness, and suffering. — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026 Their disaffection can create a culture of hopelessness and emotional stasis that lasts well past any economic recovery. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2026 What is left is a vague feeling of guilt or hopelessness, which rarely leads to action. — Jamil Wyne, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 Although the wealthy Gulf oil states and small slivers of Arab elites flourished within this system, for most people the American order meant only violence, hopelessness, and deprivation. — Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 But in recent months and years, a sense of hopelessness has increasingly gripped those still remaining on the island. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 With the current political climate, Love sees the hopelessness in the world and took it upon herself to create room for people to be a part of a community that desires to curate a safe space. — Zuri Primos july 27, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026 Surveys indicate that young women are experiencing their highest rates of hopelessness on record. — Elizabeth Dray, STAT, 21 July 2026 Half reported hopelessness, approximately 48% reported sadness or depression and about 45% reported persistent fear or anxiety, according to IranWire. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hopelessness

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

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

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

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hopeless

hopelessness

hopes

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

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Synonyms of hopelessness

noun

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