Definition of despair

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< De Soto

despairing >

de·spair    (d-spâr) KEY 

intr.v.
de·spaired, de·spair·ing, de·spairs

1. To lose all hope: despaired of reaching shore safely.
2. To be overcome by a sense of futility or defeat.

NOUN:

1. Complete loss of hope.
2. One despaired of or causing despair: unmotivated students that are the despair of their teachers.

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ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English despeiren, from Old French desperer, from Latin dsprre : d-, de- + sprre, to hope; see sp- in Indo-European roots. N., from Middle English despeir from Anglo-Norman, from Old French desperer, to despair