Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

despond

/dɪˈspɒnd/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.47 in modern English

Syllables
de-spond
IPA
/dɪˈspɒnd/
11
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To give up the will, courage, or spirit; to become dejected, lose heart.

Intransitive verb

noun

Despondency.

Archaic; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Latin dēspondeō (“give up, abandon”), from dē (“from”) + spondeō (“promise”).

Usage

Inflected Forms

desponds (present, singular) desponding (participle, present) desponded (participle, past) desponded (past)

Derived Forms

despondence desponder

Phrases

slough of despond

Frequently Paired Words

slough of despond

Synonyms

despair desperation despond despondency hopelessness unhope wanhope

Rhymes With

beyond bond respond blonde pond across the pond fond blond correspond wand spawned conned

Questions

How do you pronounce despond?
The recorded pronunciation is /dɪˈspɒnd/.
What does despond mean?
To give up the will, courage, or spirit; to become dejected, lose heart.
Where does despond come from?
From Latin dēspondeō (“give up, abandon”), from dē (“from”) + spondeō (“promise”).

How to pronounce despond

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “despond”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/dɪˈspɒnd/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “despond”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “despond” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.