DESPAIRING

despairing, desperate

(adjective) arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope; “a despairing view of the world situation”; “the last despairing plea of the condemned criminal”; “a desperate cry for help”; “helpless and desperate--as if at the end of his tether”; “her desperate screams”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Adjective

despairing (not comparable)

Feeling, expressing, or caused by despair; hopeless.

Verb

despairing

present participle of despair

Noun

despairing (plural despairings)

A mood or display of despair.

Anagrams

• depairings, diaperings, spinigrade

Source: Wiktionary

De*spair"ing, a.

Definition: Feeling or expressing despair; hopeless.

– De*spair"ing*ly, adv.

– De*spair"ing*ness, n.

DESPAIR

De*spair", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Despaired; p. pr. & vb. n. Despairing.] Etym: [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.]

Definition: 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.

Syn.

– See Despond.

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.

De*spair", n. Etym: [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.

Syn.

– Desperation; despondency; hopelessness.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition