despondency

noun

de·​spon·​den·​cy di-ˈspän-dən-sē How to pronounce despondency (audio)
: the state of being despondent or extremely low in spirits : dejection, hopelessness
sank into despondency while he was unemployed

Examples of despondency in a Sentence

in despondency because he couldn't seem to settle into a lasting relationship in their despondency they seemingly forgot that losing teams can become winning teams in a single season
Recent Examples on the Web None of these thoughts are expressed in words, but thanks to Ben’s impeccable performance, Meena brings even these complex ideas to life through her silent despondency and her yearning for human decency. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Feb. 2024 As a last-ditch effort to save their Christmas from Gene's despondency, the Belchers try to rerecord the album themselves, which doesn't work until Gene gets a trippy vision from Percy McTinsel-bud (Dana Snyder). EW.com, 27 Nov. 2023 Following her initial despondency, Kashfi refused to take the lashings sitting down. Hazlitt, 31 Jan. 2024 Caroline Hickman, a researcher on eco-anxiety from the University of Bath, cautions that the feelings of worry, grief, despair, and despondency associated with eco-anxiety should not be pathologized. Tori Tsui, WIRED, 22 Jan. 2024 George Bailey has lived a commendable life, but his despondency hides this reality from him. Peter J. Travers, National Review, 30 Dec. 2023 The summer that just blazed by belonged unequivocally to the girls and girlies, cultural archetypes who embodied, in their despondency and their delight, the incongruities of being young and female in America. Iva Dixit, New York Times, 19 Sep. 2023 The general despondency among young Chinese is already hamstringing the economy. Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2023 Eventually, popular despondency and disillusionment may come. Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 3 Dec. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'despondency.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see despond entry 1

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of despondency was in 1653

Dictionary Entries Near despondency

Cite this Entry

“Despondency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/despondency. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

despondency

noun
de·​spond·​en·​cy
di-ˈspän-dən-sē
: the state of being despondent : dejection, discouragement

More from Merriam-Webster on despondency

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