despondence

despondence — noun

1. a sad emotional condition in which a person has lost all hope and believes that

1.名詞C1
釋義

a sad emotional condition in which a person has lost all hope and believes that nothing good will ever happen again

例句

After the job interview failed, Joon fell into deep despondence that lasted for weeks.

collocation: deep despondence / fell into despondence

The charity worker could not hide her despondence over the cancelled hospital funding.

collocation: despondence + over + cause

同義詞
  • despondency

    more common synonym; identical in meaning but despondency is the preferred form in most contexts

  • hopelessness

    less formal and more direct; emphasises the absence of hope rather than the sadness it causes

  • dejection

    slightly milder; focuses on low spirits and discouragement rather than total loss of hope

  • despair

    stronger and more urgent; suggests a complete loss or absence of hope, often in a dramatic or existential sense

反義詞
  • hope

    the direct opposite — belief that good things will happen

  • optimism

    a general tendency to expect positive outcomes, contrasting with the negative expectation of despondence

文法句型

despondence + at/over/about + noun phrase

despondence + of + noun phrase (describing the source)

用法筆記

Common in formal or literary writing rather than everyday conversation. Frequently modified by adjectives such as deep, profound, or utter. When the cause is stated, the prepositions at or over are typical.

常見錯誤

❌The doctor diagnosed him with clinical despondence.
✅The doctor diagnosed him with clinical depression.
💡Despondence describes a temporary emotional state of hopelessness, not a clinical medical condition.