despondency

  • 1Despondency — De*spond en*cy, n. The state of desponding; loss of hope and cessation of effort; discouragement; depression or dejection of the mind. [1913 Webster] The unhappy prince seemed, during some days, to be sunk in despondency. Macaulay. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2despondency — index depression, distress (anguish), pessimism, prostration Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …

    Law dictionary

  • 3despondency — 1650s; see DESPONDENCE (Cf. despondence) + CY (Cf. cy) …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 4despondency — despair, desperation, hopelessness, forlornness (see under DESPONDENT adj) Analogous words: dejection, depression, melancholy, melancholia, *sadness, blues, dumps Antonyms: lightheartedness Contrasted words: cheerfulness, gladness, happiness,… …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 5despondency — [di spän′dənsdi spän′dən sē] n. [see DESPONDENT] loss of courage or hope; dejection: also despondence [di spän′dəns] …

    English World dictionary

  • 6despondency — [[t]dɪspɒ̱ndənsi[/t]] N UNCOUNT Despondency is a strong feeling of unhappiness caused by difficulties which you feel you cannot overcome. There s a mood of gloom and despondency in the country. Syn: dejection …

    English dictionary

  • 7despondency — Synonyms and related words: Schmerz, Slough of Despond, acedia, apathy, blank despondency, cave of Trophonius, cave of despair, death wish, dejectedness, dejection, depression, despair, desperateness, desperation, despondentness, disconsolateness …

    Moby Thesaurus

  • 8despondency — noun the despondency of the refugees was captured in this documentary Syn: hopelessness, despair, discouragement, low spirits, wretchedness; melancholy, gloom, misery, desolation, disappointment, disheartenment, dejection, sadness, unhappiness;… …

    Thesaurus of popular words

  • 9despondency — despondent ► ADJECTIVE ▪ in low spirits from loss of hope or courage. DERIVATIVES despondency noun despondently adverb. ORIGIN from Latin despondere give up, abandon …

    English terms dictionary

  • 10despondency — noun Date: 1653 the state of being despondent ; dejection, hopelessness …

    New Collegiate Dictionary