List of 426 Sets of Synonyms - How they Differ - Total of 2307 Words - 111

SYNONYMS: despair, hopelessness, desperation, despondency, discouragement.
These nouns denote loss of hope.

Despair and hopelessness stress the utter absence of hope and often imply a sense of powerlessness or resignation: When the bank repossessed the house, their depression turned to despair. A spirit of hopelessness pervaded the refugee camp.
Desperation is despair that drives a person to take risky, often reckless action: Some men lead lives of quiet desperation.
Despondency emphasizes depression of spirit resulting from cessation of hope and a belief that continued efforts will fail: Her despondency arises from her inability to find employment.
Discouragement denotes loss of confidence or courage in the face of obstacles but is the weakest of these terms: The farmer had moments of discouragement over the failure of his crops.