DESPONDENCE Synonyms: 111 Similar and Opposite Words

despondence

noun

di-ˈspän-dən(t)s

Definition of despondence

as in sadness

a state or spell of low spirits her slumping posture betrayed a growing despondence

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in desperation

utter loss of hope the ability to endure defeat without despondence has allowed him to weather the ups and downs of an acting career

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of despondence Liborio speaks with a mix of rage and despondence about his situation; complaining about the pejorative labels those around him call him to diminish his existence. — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026 From shock to anger to despondence. — Ashley Sharp, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026 These could include feelings of overwhelming sadness (despondence), a sense that life will never get better (hopelessness) or actual thoughts of killing themselves. — Dr. Theresa T. Nguyen, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025 Amidst the initial confusion that followed the freezing of USAID grants, the mood across the humanitarian sector was one of panic, anxiety, and quiet despondence. — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025 Democrats have already begun the autopsy on the election results as Harris supporters express a mix of outrage and despondence. — Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2024 Baade, who remembers his own father’s despondence when the Braves left town, doesn’t outright dismiss the idea that the Brewers could leave, agreeing that a smaller-market team is at a disadvantage. — Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2023 Amy's behavior demonstrates how scoring high in each of these components facilitates a flexible, confident and passionate approach to life and ensures a strong degree of resiliency when faced with anxiety, despondence and overwhelm. — Roberta Moore, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2023 Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recalls his own quiet despondence when Dallas began the season not only with a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but a five-game loss of quarterback Dak Prescott to a thumb fracture. — Dallas News, 30 Oct. 2022

Recent Examples of Synonyms for despondence

Noun

There was a moment this week when tears of sadness gave way to elation for one California couple.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
The local journalists who cover the Bend community every day were not immune from the grief and sadness after today’s deadly shooting of children at an elementary school.

— Phil Helsel, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of sadness

Noun

Both teams now limp into Saturday's game in Austin with bruised bodies and egos, and carrying a whiff of desperation for a win to keep the season from unraveling.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Brown and her relatives say the fallen officer tragedy has reignited their trauma and desperation for justice.

— Liz Crawford, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of desperation

Noun

The depression that plagues him in winters is nowhere to be found.

— David Mack, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
But their emergence also underscores how much psychiatry still needs to learn about the biological underpinnings of depression and why patients respond differently to treatment.

— Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of depression

Noun

The vestiges of his fading memory flash by with a haunting plainness, the melancholy of all this Americana and the sadness of a mind ravaged by time strike the viewer plainly at the end of this maximalist piece of life-writing.

— Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
The question for me is whether or not Lloyd will also manage to capture the melancholy of a deceptively serious play, notwithstanding its reputation.

— Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of melancholy

Noun

In that sense, the dead-end setting of their journey across a volatile landscape in which humans might be an afterthought seems to reflect their hopelessness.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
What could that dirt road and the horizon beyond it mean—hope or hopelessness?

— Hilton Als, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of hopelessness

Noun

Wichita Mayor Lily Wu said on her personal Facebook page that the incident left her filled with sorrow.

— Dennis Romero, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026
Like many songwriters who’ve ever poured their romantic sorrows out in their music, the challenge in this new era was getting acquainted with writing from a place of happiness instead, which can be a source of anxiety itself.

— Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of sorrow

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desponded

despondence

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“Despondence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despondence. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of despondence

noun

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