| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | discouraging, upsetting |
| Synonyms: | black, bleak, daunting, dejecting, disheartening, dismal, dispiriting, distressing, dreary, funereal, gloomy, heartbreaking, hopeless, joyless, melancholic, melancholy, mournful, oppressive, sad, saddening, somber |
| Antonyms: | cheering, encouraging, happy |
| Main Entry: | desolate |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | depressed, despondent |
| Synonyms: | abandoned, acheronian, bereft, black, bleak, blue, cheerless, comfortless, companionless, dejected, disconsolate, dismal, dolorous, down, downcast, forlorn, forsaken, funereal, gloomy, hurting, in a blue funk, inconsolable, joyless, lonely, lonesome, lorn, melancholy, miserable, somber, tragic, wretched |
| Notes: | lonely adds to solitary a suggestion of longing for companionship, while lonesome heightens the suggestion of sadness; forlorn and desolate are even more isolated and sad |
| Antonyms: | cheerful, happy, pleased |
| Main Entry: | desolation |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | distress, unhappiness |
| Synonyms: | anguish, dejection, despair, gloom, gloominess, loneliness, melancholy, misery, mourning, sadness, sorrow, woe, wretchedness |
| Antonyms: | cheer, comfort, happiness, joy |
| Main Entry: | despair |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | depression, hopelessness |
| Synonyms: | anguish, dashed hopes, dejection, desperation, despondency, discouragement, disheartenment, forlornness, gloom, melancholy, misery, ordeal, pain, sorrow, trial, tribulation, wretchedness |
| Antonyms: | cheer, cheerfulness, confidence, faith, happiness, hopefulness, joy, joyfulness, trust |
| Main Entry: | despairing |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | upset, despondent |
| Synonyms: | anxious, at end of one's rope, blue, brokenhearted, can't win, cynical, dejected, depressed, desperate, disconsolate, downcast, forlorn, frantic, grief-stricken, hopeless, in pain, in the dumps, in the pits, in the soup, inconsolable, melancholic, melancholy, miserable, no-win, not a prayer, oppressed, pessimistic, sad, shot down, strabilious, suicidal, sunk, weighed down, wretched |
| Antonyms: | confident, encouraged, expectant, hopeful |
| Main Entry: | desperation |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | hopelessness |
| Synonyms: | agony, anguish, anxiety, concern, dejection, depression, desolation, despair, despondency, discomfort, disconsolateness, distraction, distress, fear, gloom, grief, heartache, melancholy, misery, pain, pang, sorrow, torture, trouble, unhappiness, worry |
| Antonyms: | confidence, contentment, security |
| Main Entry: | despondent |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | depressed |
| Synonyms: | all torn up, blue*, bummed-out, cast-down, dejected, despairing, disconsolate, discouraged, disheartened, dispirited, doleful, down, downcast, downhearted, forlorn, gloomy, glum, griefstricken, grieving, hopeless, in a blue funk, in despair, in the pits, low, low-spirited, melancholy, miserable, morose, mourning, sad, shot down, sorrowful, woebegone, wretched |
| Antonyms: | cheerful, elated, happy, hopeful, spirited, up |
| Main Entry: | disconsolate |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | depressed, unhappy |
| Synonyms: | bad, black, blue, cheerless, cold, comfortless, crestfallen, crushed, dark, dejected, desolate, despairing, destroyed, dispirited, distressed, doleful, down, downcast, downhearted, dreary, forlorn, gloomy, grief-stricken, heartbroken, hopeless, hurting, in pain, in the pits, inconsolable, low, melancholy, miserable, ripped, sad, somber, sorrowful, torn-up, woebegone, woeful, wretched |
| Antonyms: | cheerful, consoled, happy, solaced, soothed |
| Main Entry: | discouragement |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | despondency |
| Synonyms: | cold feet, dejection, depression, despair, disappointment, discomfiture, dismay, downheartedness, hopelessness, loss of confidence, low spirits, melancholy, pessimism, sadness, the blues |
| Antonyms: | cheerfulness, happiness, hopefulness |