Despair
/dɪˈspɛr/noun
A complete loss of hope.
Did you know?The roots of 'despair' dive into the depths of Latin, where it signifies a severing of hope, almost as if hope itself was a tangible thread cut from our lives.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
desperare
“to lose hope, to be without hope.”
Old French
Old French
desesperer
“to be without hope.”
Middle English
Middle English
despeiren
“to lose hope, to give up on hope.”
Modern English
English
despair
“the state of having lost all hope.”