despair
Meaning
the feeling that there is no hope and that you can do nothing to improve a difficult or troubling situation
to stop having any hope that a situation will change or improve
Structure
Usage
a deep sense of despair overwhelmed him after the news.
do not despair; help is on the way.
her face was etched with despair.
Etymology
The word 'despair' entered English in the early 14th century from Old French 'desperer', which itself descended from Latin 'desperare', meaning 'to be without hope, to have no hope'. The Latin term is a compound of the intensive prefix 'de-', implying a total reversal or removal, and the verb 'sperare', meaning 'to hope'. Thus, the literal sense is 'to be utterly devoid of hope'. The noun form developed from the verb, solidifying the concept of a state of complete hopelessness. The core semantic link remains direct: the removal ('de-') of hope ('sperare') defines the modern emotional and psychological condition.
Analysis
de- (Latin prefix meaning 'completely, utterly, down from'); spair (from Latin 'sperare', meaning 'to hope')