despondency

C2+ Topic:Emotions & Feelings

US /dɪˈspɑndənsi/ UK /dɪˈspɒndənsi/ See IPA manual

noun

Meanings

1

noun
a state of deep dejection and loss of hope

Months of failure plunged her into despondency.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a state of deep dejection... despair dejection gloom melancholy hopelessnessdisheartenmentdepression

Opposites

hope cheerfulness optimism elation

Word family

Related forms despond despondent despondence

Etymology

From despond + -ency. Despond is from Latin despondere ('to lose heart, give up'), from de- ('away') + spondere ('to promise, pledge').

despondere Latin spondere Latin

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Topics

Emotions & Feelings Word Formation & Derivatives

# despondency

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** dɪˈspɑndənsi
**IPA (UK):** dɪˈspɒndənsi

## Meanings
1. a state of deep dejection and loss of hope

## Examples
- Months of failure plunged her into despondency.

## Synonyms
- despair
- dejection
- gloom
- melancholy
- hopelessness
- disheartenment
- depression

## Antonyms
- hope
- cheerfulness
- optimism
- elation

## Related Forms
- despond
- despondent
- despondence

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: despondere
- Root: spondere

## Etymology
From despond + -ency. Despond is from Latin despondere ('to lose heart, give up'), from de- ('away') + spondere ('to promise, pledge').

## AI Etymology
Despondency is from despond + -ency. Despond is from Latin despondere ('to lose heart, give up'), from de- ('away') + spondere ('to promise, pledge'). In present-day use, it means a state of deep dejection and loss of hope. Related vocabulary includes despond, despondent, and despondence.

## Topics
- Emotions & Feelings
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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