Hypertext Webster Gateway: "despair"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
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.
Syn: See {Despond}.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
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.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
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.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
despair
n 1: a state in which everything seems wrong and will turn out
badly; "they were rescued from despair at the last
minute" [syn: {desperation}]
2: the feeling that everything is wrong and nothing will turn
out well [ant: {hope}]
v : abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart; "Don't despair--help
is on the way!" [ant: {hope}]
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