Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

despondency

/dɪˈspɒndənsi/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.22 in modern English

Syllables: de-spon-den-cy
IPA: /dɪˈspɒndənsi/

20

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

4

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The loss of hope or confidence; despair or dejection.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A feeling of depression or disheartenment.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Not everyone succumbed to such nostalgia and despondency. Some saw the existential threat to Scots as a call to document what remained."
"He kissed her brow, and left her. She watched him unconsciously, till the winding walk hid him from her sight, and then sank back on her seat, every nerve relaxing from its high-strained excitement into utter and still despondency."

Etymology

From Latin dēspondentia, from dēspondēns + -ia. Equivalent to despondent + -ency.

Origin

Source language: Latin

Word Breakdown

Root: dēspondentia

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /dɪˈspɒndənsi/

Usage

Inflected Forms

despondencies (plural)

Synonyms

despair desperation despond despondency hopelessness unhope wanhope melancholy sorrow blueness tristesse mirthless

Questions

How do you pronounce despondency?: The recorded pronunciation is /dɪˈspɒndənsi/.
What does despondency mean?: The loss of hope or confidence; despair or dejection.
Where does despondency come from?: It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce despondency

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “despondency”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/dɪˈspɒndənsi/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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