I. də̇ˈspa(a)](ə)r, dēˈ-, -pe], ]ə\ verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English despeiren, from Middle French desperer (assumed Anglo-French 3d person plural present indicative despeirent ), from Latin desperare, from de- + sperare to hope; akin to Latin spes hope and probably to Old English spēd success — more at speed
intransitive verb
1. : to lose hope utterly
sailors are too sanguine to despair , even at the last moment — Frederick Marryat
to resign or despair you must first of all have an aim that you cannot attain — Stefan Schimanski
also : to give up all expectation — used with of
I should despair , however, of any successful analysis of problems at once so large and so difficult within the limits of this paper — B.N.Cardozo
we despaired of mastering the idiomatic niceties of the language
2. : to give up hope for or belief in the success, progress, or achievement — used with of
despaired of man — Karl Meyer
despair of people who do not like poetry
transitive verb
obsolete : to lose hope for
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English despeir, from (assumed) Anglo-French despeir, from (assumed) Old French despeir (whence Old French despoir ), from desperer, v. (3d person plural present indicative despeirent )
1. : utter loss of hope : complete domination by feelings of hopelessness, futility, or defeat, wildly and bitterly expressed or quietly and pervasively dominant : complete loss of expectation of something wished for
his despair , which may find expression in … suicide — Rudyard Kipling
subject to alternating moods of elation and despair
with the apathy of entire despair he simply assented to whatever measures they suggested — Sheridan Le Fanu
often : a fit of despair — usually used in plural
the hopes, the despairs that accompanied our labors
2.
a. : something that constitutes a cause for despair
an incorrigible child is the despair of his parents
b. : something that causes bafflement and loss of hope that it can be successfully emulated, comprehended, or otherwise acted upon in the desired way
his nondescript features are the despair of caricaturists
play on words is the translator's despair — J.C.Swaim
the theory of induction is the despair of philosophy — A.N.Whitehead