English · Word Candidate

despair

/dɪˈspɛə(ɹ)/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: despairs · despairing · despaired

Sense 1

Meaning · English

To cause to despair.

Verb

Thinking of what I was despairing about despaired me further

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

To be hopeless; to have no hope; to give up all hope or expectation.

Verb

We despaired even of life.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

Loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency.

Noun

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

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

That which causes despair.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

What does “despair” mean?

To cause to despair.

Is “despair” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.