despond

English

Etymology

From Latin dēspondeō (“give up, abandon”), from dē (“from”) +‎ spondeō (“promise”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɪˈspɒnd/

  • Audio (Southern England):

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• (rare, noun usage) IPA^(key): /ˈdɛspɒnd/
• Hyphenation: de‧spond
• Rhymes: -ɒnd

Verb

despond (third-person singular simple present desponds, present participle desponding, simple past and past participle desponded)

1. (intransitive) To give up the will, courage, or spirit; to become dejected, lose heart.
   • 1867, John Conington, Aeneid, translation of original by Virgil, page 176:

     Yet still despond not, but proceed
     Along the path where fate may lead.

   • October 16, 1820, Thomas Scott, letter to the Rev. G. Knight, Harwell

     I should despair, or at least despond.

   • a. 1705, John Locke, “Of the Conduct of the Understanding”, in Posthumous Works of Mr. John Locke: […], London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], published 1706, →OCLC:

     Others depress their own minds, [and] despond at the first difficulty.

   • June 17, 1825, Daniel Webster, Speech on the laying of the Corner Stone of the Bunker Hill Monument

     We wish that […] desponding patriotism may turn its eyes hitherward, and be assured that foundations of our national power still stand strong.

Derived terms

• despondence
• desponder

Translations

to give up the will, courage, or spirit

Bulgarian: падам духом (padam duhom) French: se décourager German: verzagen (de) Greek: Ancient: ἀθυμέω (athuméō) Hungarian: csügged (hu), elcsügged (hu) Portuguese: desesperar-se Turkish: bedbin olmak (tr), umut kesmek (tr), ümidini kaybetmek

Noun

despond (uncountable)

1. (archaic) Despondency.

   Synonyms: despair, desperation; see also Thesaurus:hopelessness

Related terms

• slough of despond

Anagrams

• Spodden