Despondent
/dɪˈspɒndənt/
Definitions
Feeling or showing loss of hope or courage; very unhappy.
/dɪˈspɒndənt/
Feeling or showing profound hopelessness, dejection, or discouragement.
After failing the exam, she felt despondent and lost motivation.
💡 Simply: Imagine your favorite team loses the championship game. That feeling of being really sad and without any hope for the future? That's despondent. Like, "Ugh, nothing good will ever happen again!"
👶 For kids: When you feel very, very sad and don't think things will get better.
More Examples
The despondent artist stopped painting after a period of creative block.
The team was despondent after losing the championship game.
How It's Used
"The clinical psychologist noticed the patient was despondent after receiving the bad news."
"The protagonist, overwhelmed by loss, became despondent and retreated from the world."
Synonyms
From Middle French *despondant*, from Latin *despondens* (present participle of *despondere* 'to lose heart, despair'), from *de-* (intensive prefix) + *spondere* ('to pledge').
Historically, 'despondent' has been used to describe emotional states of despair and discouragement, often in relation to loss or hardship.
Memory tip
Think of a person who's lost their 'pond' (a source of joy) and is therefore downcast.