despondent

[dih-spon-duhnt] / dɪˈspɒn dənt /

ADJECTIVE

depressed

Synonyms

STRONGEST

dejected discouraged disheartened forlorn glum morose sad

WEAK

all torn up blue bummed out cast down despairing disconsolate dispirited doleful down downcast downhearted gloomy griefstricken grieving hopeless in a blue funk in despair in the pits low low-spirited melancholy miserable mourning shot down sorrowful woebegone wretched

Antonyms

STRONGEST

cheerful encouraged happy joyful

WEAK

elated hopeful spirited up

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He was so despondent, his mother said, that she felt her only option was to allow them to be sent back to El Salvador, a country Edwin left when he was 5.

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

McGrath then trudged off to the other side of the course, despondent, lying in the snow in angry reflection.

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

In this case, it’s a subplot about despondent self-deporting animals who resolve to flee Oz because their home has become hostile to their kind: “We can’t stay here. It’s become rotten,” says a bear.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

Hope is a commodity in short supply for the town’s despondent and fearful residents.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 9, 2025

I’m despondent and foolish, I’m sentimental, I know that too.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Vocabulary lists containing despondent

The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone

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Emotions on Display

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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 8

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