Antonyms for despair
dɪˈspɛərde·spair

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. despairnoun

   Synonyms:
   desperation, hopelessness, despondency

2. despairnoun

   To give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of.

   He turned around in despair, aware that he was not going to survive

   Synonyms:
   hopelessness, desperation, despondency

3. despairverb

   To cause to despair.

   Synonyms:
   despondency, desperation, hopelessness

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.0 / 3 votes

1. despair

   Discouragement is the result of so much repulse or failure as wears out courage. Discouragements too frequent and long continued may produce a settled hopelessness. Hopelessness is negative, and may result from simple apathy; despondency and despair are more emphatic and decided. Despondency is an incapacity for the present exercise of hope; despair is the utter abandonment of hope. Despondency relaxes energy and effort and is always attended with sadness or distress; despair may produce a stony calmness, or it may lead to desperation. Desperation is energized despair, vigorous in action, reckless of consequences.

   Antonyms:
   anticipation, assurance, cheer, confidence, courage, elation, encouragement, expectancy, expectation, hope, hopefulness, trust

   Synonyms:
   desperation, despondency, discouragement, hopelessness

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.3 / 3 votes

1. despairnoun

   Antonyms:
   hopefulness, elation, anticipation, hilarity, confidence, sanguineness, expectation

   Synonyms:
   hopelessness, despondency, desperation

2. despairverb

   Antonyms:
   hope, trust, confide, rely, presume, rally

   Synonyms:
   despond, faint

Matched Categories

1. • Condition

Princeton's WordNetRate these antonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. despair, desperationnoun

   a state in which all hope is lost or absent

   "in the depths of despair"; "they were rescued from despair at the last minute"; "courage born of desperation"

   Antonyms:
   hope

   Synonyms:
   desperation

2. despairverb

   the feeling that everything is wrong and nothing will turn out well

   "they moaned in despair and dismay"; "one harsh word would send her into the depths of despair"

   Antonyms:
   hope

   Synonyms:
   desperation

3. despairverb

   abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart

   "Don't despair--help is on the way!"

   Antonyms:
   hope

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. despairnoun

   Synonyms:
   hopelessness, desperation, inconsolableness

How to use despair in a sentence?

1. George Eliot, Middlemarch:

   What we call our despair is often only the painful eagerness of unfed hope.

2. Ramana Pemmaraju:

   Mechanics of Mind: I feel the greatest source of despair stems not from what we do on a daily basis, but the pace at which our mind thinks vis-a-vis our progression in real life that matters - the greater the gap the more the despair!”

3. Isaac Herzog:

   Whoever wants to follow Bibi's path of despair and disappointment will vote for him, but whoever wants change, hope, and really a better future for Israel, will vote the Zionist Camp lead by me.

4. State John Kerry on Saturday:

   The current path is not leading to a more peaceful future. I am concerned that unless significant efforts are made to change the dynamic -- and I mean significant -- it will only bring more violence, more heartbreak, and more despair, that's a fear, not a threat. And changing course will take real courage, leadership, and difficult choices. The Palestinians must decide what kind of future they want for their people.

5. H. G. Wells:

   Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race.

How to pronounce despair?

How to say despair in sign language?

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