despond

Despond is a verb meaning to become dejected or discouraged, or to cause someone to lose confidence or hope. It describes a mood or state in which enthusiasm drains away, and it is used for both temporary feelings and more lasting senses of disappointment. The related adjective is despondent, and the noun forms despondency or despondence, though despondence is less common in modern usage.

Etymology: The word derives from Middle English desponderen, from Old French despondre, or from Latin despondere “to lay aside hope” (de- meaning “away” or “down” and spondere “to pledge”). The sense broadened over time to refer to a loss of spirit or morale.

Usage: In contemporary writing, despond often appears in narrative or formal prose to describe a character or person who has lost hope after failure, tragedy, or disappointment. It tends to denote a state that is more persistent than mere momentary sadness, but less severe than clinical depression. The adjective despondent and the noun despondency describe the corresponding states more commonly than the verb.

See also: despondent, despondency, despondence, mood, melancholy. Synonyms include discouraged, disheartened, demoralized, downcast; antonyms include hopeful, optimistic, buoyant.