medium
Ari felt despondent when his project broke right before the fair.
What does Despondent mean?
Despondent means very sad and almost without hope.
Dictionary definition
Very sad and almost without hope.
Example sentences
Despondent in a sentence
Writing practice
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Quick practice
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Practice the meaning of Despondent
Answer three quick questions about its meaning and related words.
Question 1 of 3
Practice 1
What does despondent mean?
Despondent means very sad and almost without hope.
Practice 2
Which sentence uses despondent correctly?
The correct sentence shows the meaning of despondent through context clues.
Practice 3
Which word is closest in meaning to despondent?
Hopeless is closest in meaning to despondent in this entry.
Practice complete
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Despondent
Voice settings
Sounds like
dih · spon · duhnt · strongest beat: spon
Tap each sound part, then blend the whole word together.
Learn
WordDespondent.
Partadjective.
MeaningDespondent means very sad and almost without hope.
ExampleExample: Ari felt despondent when his project broke right before the fair.
Word breakdown
3 syllables. Say each part, then blend the word.
- Syllables
- dih · spon · duhnt
- Strongest beat
- spon
- Ending
- duhnt
- Tip
- Put a little extra energy on spon.
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Synonyms
Words like Despondent
hopelessUse when someone feels that things may not get better.
Antonyms
Opposite words
hopefulUse when someone believes things can improve.
Synonym practice
Want to practice despondent synonyms in context? Try a Synonym Search question like "The despondent character thought the task was hopeless," then compare close word choices. Practice despondent synonyms.
Word family
Despondent word family
Base word
despond
noun
despondency
A feeling of deep sadness and low hope.
adverb
despondently
In a very sad and hopeless way.
Related words
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Student support
Understand Despondent
Hint for students
Look for clues that show deep sadness and little hope.
Common mix-up
Despondent is stronger than disappointed; it means someone feels very low.
Try it in class or at home
Read the model sentence and underline the clue words that show the feeling or trait. Then write a new sentence that shows despondent without using the word despondent.
Teacher prompt
Ask students to explain this model sentence: "Ari felt despondent when his project broke right before the fair." What clues show what despondent means?
Word category
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