despairing

[dih-spair-ing] / dɪˈspɛər ɪŋ /

ADJECTIVE

upset, despondent

Synonyms

STRONGEST

grief-stricken melancholic melancholy pessimistic suicidal

STRONG

blue dejected depressed oppressed sunk

WEAK

anxious at end of one's rope brokenhearted can't win cynical desperate disconsolate downcast forlorn frantic hopeless in pain in the dumps in the pits in the soup inconsolable miserable no-win not a prayer sad shot down strabilious weighed down wretched

Antonyms

STRONG

cheerful encouraged happy joyous

WEAK

confident expectant hopeful

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.

The angry, despairing look on team owner Lawrence Stroll's face in Bahrain said it all.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

But Nina soon found herself despairing, once she realized she could not leave her hiding place.

From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026

Any freelance journalist who finds herself despairing over the paltry rates that today’s assigning editors are offering might want to familiarize herself with Fanny Fern before her next negotiation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

Some of Tarr’s most memorable scenes feature landscapes, often bleak and despairing settings of decaying Hungarian towns, punctuated with close-ups of characters’ faces.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026

Yossarian threw his arms up into the air in a gesture of mighty and despairing self recrimination.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

despairing

Example Sentences

Related Words