despair
verb/dɪˈspeə(r)/
/dɪˈsper/
[intransitive]Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they despair | /dɪˈspeə(r)/ /dɪˈsper/ |
| he / she / it despairs | /dɪˈspeəz/ /dɪˈsperz/ |
| past simple despaired | /dɪˈspeəd/ /dɪˈsperd/ |
| past participle despaired | /dɪˈspeəd/ /dɪˈsperd/ |
| -ing form despairing | /dɪˈspeərɪŋ/ /dɪˈsperɪŋ/ |
- to stop having any hope that a situation will change or improve
- Don't despair! We'll think of a way out of this.
- despair of something/somebody I despair of him; he can't keep a job for more than six months.
- despair of doing something They'd almost despaired of ever having children.
Extra ExamplesTopics Feelingsc1- He's so rude, I despair of him!
- If you do not get a job immediately, don't despair. You will find one in the end.
- They had begun to despair of ever finding the right road.
- We almost despaired when they said that the health centre would have to close.
- We finally found a house just when we were beginning to despair.
- He began to despair that his dream would never materialize.
Word OriginMiddle English: the noun via Anglo-Norman French from Old French desespeir; the verb from Old French desperer, from Latin desperare, from de- ‘down from’ + sperare ‘to hope’.Want to learn more?
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