despondent

American

[dih-spon-duhnt] / dɪˈspɒn dənt /

adjective

feeling or showing profound hopelessness, dejection, discouragement, or gloom.

despondent about failing health.

Synonyms:

blue, melancholy, downhearted

Antonyms:

hopeful, happy

despondent British

/ dɪˈspɒndənt /

adjective

downcast or disheartened; lacking hope or courage; dejected

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See hopeless.

Other Word Forms

despondence noun
despondency noun
despondently adverb
predespondent adjective
quasi-despondent adjective
quasi-despondently adverb
undespondent adjective
undespondently adverb

Etymology

Origin of despondent

First recorded in 1690–1700; from Latin dēspondent-, stem of dēspondēns “giving up,” present participle of dēspondēre “to give up, lose heart, promise”; despond

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He was so despondent, his mother said, that she felt her only option was to allow them to be sent back to El Salvador, a country Edwin left when he was 5.

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

Guilty and despondent, Donatello retreats to his empty family estate in Tuscany, where Kenyon tries to counsel him.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Not long ago, investors were despondent as stocks related to artificial intelligence pulled back on bubble fears and worries about potential overcapacity.

From Barron's • Jan. 7, 2026

Hope is a commodity in short supply for the town’s despondent and fearful residents.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 9, 2025

“Guess she got smart and blew me off,” he sighed, looking despondent.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023