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Dictionary Information: Definition Despair
Thesaurus: Despair
Description and Meaning: Despair

  Despair (De*spair") (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Despaired (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Despairing.]
[OE. despeiren, dispeiren, OF. desperer, fr. L. desperare; de- + sperare to hope; akin to spes hope, and perh. to spatium space, E. space, speed; cf. OF. espeir hope, F. espoir. Cf. Prosper, Desperate.]

To be hopeless; to have no hope; to give up all hope or expectation; -- often with of. "We despaired even of life." 2 Cor. i. 8. "Never despair of God's blessings here." Wake.

Synonyms -- See Despond.
Despair (De*spair"), v. t.

1. To give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of. [Obs.] "I would not despair the greatest design that could be attempted." Milton.
2. To cause to despair. [Obs.] Sir W. Williams.
Despair (De*spair"), n.
[Cf. OF. despoir, fr. desperer.]

1. Loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency. "We in dark dreams are tossing to and fro, Pine with regret, or sicken with despair." Keble. "Before he [Bunyan] was ten, his sports were interrupted by fits of remorse and despair." Macaulay.
2. That which is despaired of. "The mere despair of surgery he cures." Shak.

Synonyms -- Desperation; despondency; hopelessness.

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