Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Depression of spirits from loss of hope, confidence, or courage; dejection.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A sinking or dejection of spirits from loss of hope or courage in affliction or difficulty; deep depression of spirit.
  • noun Synonyms Desperation, etc. (see despair), discouragement, melancholy, gloom.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The state of desponding; loss of hope and cessation of effort; discouragement; depression or dejection of the mind.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The loss of hope or confidence; despair or dejection.
  • noun A feeling of depression or disheartenment.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun feeling downcast and disheartened and hopeless

Etymologies

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Examples

  • The second reason for the despondency is the realization that this, at last, is a direct clash between the two giants.

    The Second Revolution in Russia 1962

  • Earlier, fruitless chemotherapeutic experiments often resulted in despondency, but now even the most pessimistic have gradually come to see the value of the results achieved.

    Physiology or Medicine 1939 - Presentation Speech 1965

  • The powers which I feel, and of which I have given promise, may mature, may stamp themselves in act; but the spirit of despondency is strong upon the future exile, and I fear they never will.

    Mrs. Fletcher, Late Miss Jewsbury. 1838

  • The powers which I feel, and of which I have given promise, may mature, may stamp themselves in act, but the spirit of despondency is strong upon the future exile, and I fear they never will:

    Memorials of Mrs. Hemans, with Illustrations of Her Literary Character from Her Private Correspondence 1836

  • Let not the one blind you to the other; let not the one lead you to a morbid despondency, which is blind to Christ, nor the other to a superficial estimate of the deadliness of sin, which is blind to thine own self.

    Expositions of Holy Scripture Psalms Alexander Maclaren 1868

  • Now and then the aged man came, a dear child or perhaps companion must be seen quickly; I marked the anxiety that seemed to light up his care-worn features -- saddened as it were, by a shade of despondency, which is so often visible on the features of those who have lived long, and their fondest hopes have been often crushed.

    A Sketch of the Life of Okah Tubbee, (Called) William Chubbee, Son of the Head Chief, Mosholeh Tubbee, of the Choctaw Nation of Indians 1852

  • He has no patience with what has been called the despondency of old age -- the feeling, natural enough at that time of life, but not desirable to be encouraged, that there is no longer any room for hope or promise in the future which gives so much of its interest to the present.

    Cicero Ancient Classics for English Readers Rev. W. Lucas Collins 1852

  • And let them cast away all scruples; for scruples bring fears, and fears a shrinking dread; and these bring despondency, which is a sin against hope; and this brings estrangement, which is a sin against love.

    Sermons. Volume The Fourth. 1808-1892 1850

  • So long as she remained at home, where every object reminded her of what had been, where the very trees seemed to nod their heads and mock her as she passed along, it was hardly to be expected that, with her best efforts, she could avoid sinking deeper and deeper in despondency.

    Zoe: The History of Two Lives 1845

  • Andy Murray was as confused as the rest of us in defeat and piercing his despondency was a struggle as we sought to discover why his usually pitch-perfect fitness deserted him when he needed it against Stanislas Wawrinka in the US Open.

    The Guardian World News 2010

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  • ...We pile pity upon ourselves and permit our initial discouragement to develop into despondency and despair.

    October 24, 2010