desespera

Desespera is a verb form used in Spanish (and, in the same spelling, in Portuguese) derived from the verb desesperar. In Spanish, desespera is the third-person singular present indicative of desesperar, meaning that it describes someone or something causing despair or frustration. It can be used transitively as in “La incertidumbre desespera a los investigadores” (The uncertainty despa ir es the researchers) or in the expression “Me desespera,” meaning that something drives me to despair or frustrates me. The verb can also appear in reflexive form as desesperarse, meaning to become desperate.

Etymology and related forms: Desesperar comes from Latin desperare, formed from de- (expressing removal or negation) and sperare (to hope). The sense evolved from losing hope to causing someone else to lose hope or to become intensely annoyed or frustrated. The suffix -ar marks a standard Spanish verb, with corresponding forms in other Romance languages, notably Portuguese, where desesperar likewise yields a present tense form desespera for él/ela.

Usage notes: Desespera is common in narrative and informal speech to convey strong irritation or distress about a situation. Phrases such as “esa espera desespera” (that waiting is desperate/unbearable) or “me desespera que no haya respuestas” illustrate its versatility in expressing emotional or psychological strain. The related noun form for despair in Spanish is desesperación, which more directly denotes the state of despair rather than the causal action described by desesperar.

See also: Desesperar, Desesperación, Esperanza.