as in grieves
to lose all hope or confidence
we despaired when we saw how little time we had left to complete our project
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Recent Examples of despairs
In Osamu Dazai’s The Setting Sun, Kazuko despairs of the pain that her brother Naoji’s drug addiction and degenerate behavior have caused the family.
—
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
As someone who regularly despairs over the choice between a sweet or savory breakfast meal, this was a godsend.
—Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 26 Feb. 2026
When Eva suddenly disappears without a trace, the priest despairs, leading him to commit a series of shocking and violent crimes.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
As someone who regularly despairs over the choice between a sweet or savory breakfast meal, this was a godsend.
—Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 26 Feb. 2026
When Eva suddenly disappears without a trace, the priest despairs, leading him to commit a series of shocking and violent crimes.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despairs
Verb
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The film follows a woman who grieves the loss of her mother by secretly attending the funerals of strangers.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Apr. 2026
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Another family quietly grieves in North Carolina While the string of attacks rattles several communities in Georgia, Prianna Weathers’ mother mourns privately in her North Carolina home.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Community mourns teen who never returned home Celeste’s family has largely stayed out of public view since her body was discovered.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
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Community mourns loss of teen A vigil was held at the park Monday night to remember the teen who was a student at Eagle Academy, just down the street.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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During bad snow years – and 2026 was Utah's worst snowfall on record – the lake suffers more.—
Saige Miller,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2026
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His poem suffers from the painful prejudices of his age.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Despairs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despairs. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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