as in desperation
utter loss of hope
the fans' hopelessness was dispelled as their team mounted a comeback
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Recent Examples of hopelessness
The other featured a comeback that saw hopelessness turn into jubilation.
—
Peter Warren, Houston Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
For her and many other Iranians who spoke to CNN – their surnames withheld to protect their identities – the past three weeks have been filled with a sense of hopelessness and fear.
—Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Depression and hopelessness are at their highest ever measured.
—Ariel David, Baltimore Sun, 16 Mar. 2026
Johnson said depression often manifests as persistent negative self-perception, hopelessness, feelings of worthlessness and social withdrawal.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 8 Mar. 2026
If your friend or family member is struggling to keep up with daily responsibilities, constantly ruminating about relationship issues, or expressing a sense of hopelessness, consider bringing it up, says Francesca Emma, a therapist in New York.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
His motion veered between expressions of hopelessness and elaborate proposals for prisoner exchanges.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
The American intelligence community has long known that insurgent groups—many of which openly seek the destruction of the United States—rely on desperation, food insecurity, and hopelessness to gain recruits.
—Hana Kiros, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
And with that came a feeling of complete hopelessness.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Peter Warren, Houston Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
For her and many other Iranians who spoke to CNN – their surnames withheld to protect their identities – the past three weeks have been filled with a sense of hopelessness and fear.
—Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
Depression and hopelessness are at their highest ever measured.
—Ariel David, Baltimore Sun, 16 Mar. 2026
Johnson said depression often manifests as persistent negative self-perception, hopelessness, feelings of worthlessness and social withdrawal.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 8 Mar. 2026
If your friend or family member is struggling to keep up with daily responsibilities, constantly ruminating about relationship issues, or expressing a sense of hopelessness, consider bringing it up, says Francesca Emma, a therapist in New York.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
His motion veered between expressions of hopelessness and elaborate proposals for prisoner exchanges.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
The American intelligence community has long known that insurgent groups—many of which openly seek the destruction of the United States—rely on desperation, food insecurity, and hopelessness to gain recruits.
—Hana Kiros, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
And with that came a feeling of complete hopelessness.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hopelessness
Noun
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According to some experts, this paralyzing fear and desperation are factors that scammers exploit to put their criminal schemes into action.—
Albinson Linares,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
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But her desperation seems exposed at Cupertino, too, where Little Tim mocks her for her dim suggestion that psychotherapists be deployed to the company’s Guangzhou factory to cool down a labor crisis.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The play charts his despair and hope, as well as his unlikely romance with a prison volunteer (Tessa Thompson).—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Denials, appeals and habeas corpus Juan and Donovan’s emotions swing wildly between hope and despair, depending on the day.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The scene where Artax the horse gets stuck in the swamps of sadness?—
Redazione People,
Vanity Fair,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Family members said it’s been a long road of frustration, agony and sadness watching Hitchcock’s death sentences get overturned three times amid the nearly a dozen appeals his attorneys have filed over the decades.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hopelessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hopelessness. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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