despond
despond — 動詞
- despondpresent simple I / you / we / they
- desponds3rd person singular
- desponding-ing form
- despondedpast simple
1. to become very sad and lose hope, especially when faced with a difficult situati
沮喪；氣餒
因困境失去希望
to become very sad and lose hope, especially when faced with a difficult situation that seems unlikely to improve — for example, desponding over a lost job, a failed project, or bad news about someone's health.
The villagers began to despond as the drought continued into its sixth month.
乾旱進入第六個月時，村民們開始感到沮喪。
despond + as-clause for ongoing cause
Kofi tried not to despond when his application was rejected a second time.
Kofi 的申請第二次被拒絕時，他努力不讓自己氣餒。
try not to despond (verb + infinitive)
Isabela saw her teammates desponding after the loss and gave a pep talk.
Isabela 看到隊友們在落敗後意志消沉，於是為大家打氣。
The research team refused to despond despite months of failed experiments.
儘管實驗連續失敗數月，研究團隊仍拒絕氣餒。
- despair
stronger and more common than despond; suggests complete loss of hope
- lose heart
less formal and more common; used for temporary discouragement
- grieve
focuses on sorrow from a specific loss rather than general hopelessness
- take heart
to begin to feel hopeful again
- cheer up
informal; to become happier
文法句型
despond + about/over/at + noun phrase
despond + when/because clause
用法筆記
Frequently used with a prepositional phrase introduced by 'about', 'over', or 'at' to name the cause of the sadness. This verb is uncommon in everyday speech; 'become despondent' or 'lose heart' are more typical alternatives.
常見錯誤
despond — 名詞
1. a deep state of sadness and hopelessness that lasts for some time, often caused
絕望；沮喪
長期的悲傷與無望
a deep state of sadness and hopelessness that lasts for some time, often caused by a difficult experience such as illness, failure, or loss.
A sense of despond settled over the family after the accident.
意外發生後，一股絕望感籠罩了這個家庭。
collocation: sense of despond
Marco spoke openly about the deep despond he felt during his illness.
Marco 坦率地談起他在生病期間所感受到的深深沮喪。
collocation: deep despond
The team's despond finally lifted when the rescue team radioed in.
救援隊傳來無線電消息後，隊員們的絕望終於消散了。
Vikram read poetry to escape the despond of long winter nights.
Vikram 藉由讀詩來排遣漫長冬夜的沮喪。
- despondency
the more common noun form; interchangeable with despond but used far more often
- despair
stronger and more widely used; suggests complete abandonment of hope
- melancholy
a gentle, lingering sadness rather than active hopelessness
- hope
confidence that things will improve
- cheerfulness
a state of visible happiness and optimism
文法句型
despond + of + noun phrase
in despond
a feeling/sense/cloud of despond
用法筆記
Uncountable — do not use with an indefinite article ('a despond'). Usually appears with modifiers such as 'deep', 'great', or in fixed phrases like 'a cloud/sense of despond'. Far more common than the verb form, though still literary.