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"
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"
Loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency.
"After losing his job, house, and savings in a single week, he sank into total despair."
In plain English: Despair is the feeling of losing all hope that things will ever get better.
"She felt deep despair when she lost her job unexpectedly."
To give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of.
"After waiting hours for a reply that never came, he finally gave up and despairs of ever hearing from her again."
In plain English: To despair means to lose all hope that things will ever get better.
"He began to despair when he realized his car would not start in the middle of nowhere."
Usage: Use this verb primarily in formal writing rather than casual speech, where "give up" is more common. Avoid confusing it with the noun form when describing an action versus a state of mind.
The word "despair" entered Middle English via Anglo-Norman and Old French, where it was formed from the Latin prefix dis- meaning "not" combined with a root related to hope. This borrowing replaced an earlier native Old English term for the same concept.