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Webster 1913 Edition

Despair

De-spair′

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Despaired
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Despairing
.]
[OE.
despeiren
,
dispeiren
, OF.
desperer
, fr. L.
desperare
;
de-
+
sperare
to hope; akin to
spes
hope, and perh. to
spatium
space, E.
space
,
speed
; cf. OF.
espeir
hope, F.
espoir
. Cf.
Prosper
,
Desperate
.]
To be hopeless; to have no hope; to give up all hope or expectation; – often with of.
We
despaired
even of life.
2 Cor. i. 8.
Syn. – See
Despond
.

De-spair′

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of.
[Obs.]
I would not
despair
the greatest design that could be attempted.
Milton.
2.
To cause to despair.
[Obs.]
Sir W. Williams.

De-spair′

,
Noun.
[Cf. OF.
despoir
, fr.
desperer
.]
1.
Loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency.
We in dark dreams are tossing to and fro,
Pine with regret, or sicken with
despair
.
Keble.
Before he [Bunyan] was ten, his sports were interrupted by fits of remorse and
despair
.
Macaulay.
Syn. – Desperation; despondency; hopelessness.

Webster 1828 Edition

Despair

DESPAIR

, n.
1.
Hopelessness; a hopeless state; a destitution of hope or expectation.
We are perplexed, but not in despair. 2 Cor. 4.
All safety in despair of safety placed.
2.
That which causes despair; that of which there is no hope.
The mere despair of surgery, he cures.
3.
Loss of hope in the mercy of God.

DESPAIR

,
Verb.
I.
[L. To hope.] To be without hope; to hive up all hope or expectation; followed by of.
We despaired even of life. 2 Cor. 1.
Never despair of Gods blessings here, or of his reward hereafter.

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