despondent

[Euphony]

No, I am not but thank you for asking.

I'm hoping someone can help me with the nuances of despondent and related words.

Per my source:

de·spondent·ly adv.
Synonyms: despondent, despairing, forlorn, hopeless
These adjectives mean being without or almost without hope: despondent about the company's failure; took a despairing view of world politics; a forlorn cause; a hopeless case.

I feel as though they aren't interchangeable. Similar but each having a better or best case.

So what are your thoughts and feelings on these words? If an individual were claimed to be each, which would you say is sad. blue, or otherwise troubled vs. suicidal?

And does any of you have a better reference for these type nuances. I could consult in future on such things? Ive not needed the tools for writing up until now so what I do have feels severely lacking.

Oh, and if you feel other words are in the same vein, please share. Examples would be great. Here's how Id do "happy" if I were following my concept.

"He was happy he found a dollar."
"He was overjoyed to find a hundred dollars."
"He was euphoric when his lottery numbers came up."

Thanks Euph

 

[sr71plt]

I think despondent and forlorn go together OK and that despairing is farther down the chute and hopeless is at the bottom of the chute.

 

[emap]

They all mean the same thing relatively speaking. That said they are used in different context.

Desondent and despairing are practically the same really, I mean he's despondent about the company turning things around. He's despairing about the company turning things around. Either one works though despondent works better in the sentence.

The toughies relatively speaking are the last two. Forlorn is a little difficult to work into a sentence. Best I can come up with is: The thought of returning to his childhood home has left him forlorn. It just doesn't really flow worth a darn.

Hopeless at least has a clear and concise use. He's hopeless of ever seeing her again. Getting a yes out of her is a hopeless endeavor. So on so forth, hopeless is a great word with many uses in sentences. Hopeless though is tough in how it's used, because it's used to suggest one thing then turn it around. It is also used to say that it actually can't happen and won't. In that respect you have to watch how you use it because people are unclear on it's meaning in that respect.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

DESPAIR is a total loss of hope, DESPONDENT is how you feel about your loss of hope.

 

[PennLady]

I see despondent as closer to depressed as opposed to despairing or hopeless. For reason, I'd put "hopeless" one step above "despairing," although I waver on that. Hmmm.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

euphony

I find that looking for nuance is best done by chasing down the etymology.

You have 'de-' (getting away) and 'spondere' (latin - to promise). Funny that 'despondere' meant to promise in marriage in Roman times.

Despondent(cy) is more severe than despair, even forlorn. It is to totally give up, lose heart,resign, throw in your chips. You can write, 'she forlornly/despairingly hoped he would come back' but not, 'despondently hoped he. . .'

Synonyms like inconsolable, heartsick, depressed, dejected, wretched seem to work as a negative to hope.

A good thesaurus coupled with a good etymology dictionary would give you hours of fun.

 

[Bramblethorn]

No, I am not but thank you for asking.

I'm hoping someone can help me with the nuances of despondent and related words.

Merriam-Webster has a good explanation of the distinctions: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/despondent

I'm not sure I agree with the suggestion that etymology is a good way to figure out nuance; while it's interesting to know where a word comes from, the nuance of a word may have shifted considerably since it first appeared in English. In some cases, it's completely reversed; for example, take "awful" (used to mean awe-inspiring, now means really bad) or "manufacture" (originally, to make by hand).

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Merriam-Webster has a good explanation of the distinctions: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/despondent

I'm not sure I agree with the suggestion that etymology is a good way to figure out nuance; while it's interesting to know where a word comes from, the nuance of a word may have shifted considerably since it first appeared in English. In some cases, it's completely reversed; for example, take "awful" (used to mean awe-inspiring, now means really bad) or "manufacture" (originally, to make by hand).

Shit gets confused and bass-ackwards when assclowns make up meaning as they go along.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

Bramlethorn, you are wrong.

In its long tortuous journey, awe has bifurcated There are now two separate threads.

The first leads you to a cave where your eyes open in awe at the beauty of the doge's palace whilst you constantly protest at the awful mess on the New York downtown streets.

The two definitions now co-exist - with different spellings. Try, 'awesome' and 'awful'.

MW just repeats what I said. Despondent is negative and leaves no room for hope.

Just again, a tad of respect for etymology would have shown the development of 'awe'

 

[sr71plt]

I'm not sure I agree with the suggestion that etymology is a good way to figure out nuance; while it's interesting to know where a word comes from, the nuance of a word may have shifted considerably since it first appeared in English. In some cases, it's completely reversed; for example, take "awful" (used to mean awe-inspiring, now means really bad) or "manufacture" (originally, to make by hand).

Bingo. Words are shaded into changing meanings by usuage. Their origin doesn't have all that much to do with what they mean currently.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

Bingo. Words are shaded into changing meanings by usuage. Their origin doesn't have all that much to do with what they mean currently.

Well, yes it does.

 

[sr71plt]

I think you're just as dingbat about this as about most of the rest of what you post.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Bramlethorn, you are wrong.

Often, but not on this.

In its long tortuous journey, awe has bifurcated There are now two separate threads.

Yes, and this is exactly why etymology is not a good guide to nuance.

Back when "aweful" entered the language, about 700 years ago, you could reasonably have deduced its meaning and nuances by knowing that it's a formation from "awe" and "ful".

But since then, it's drifted a long way from its original meaning and picked up new baggage, so knowing its origins doesn't get you very far. There is no way to deduce the difference in meaning between "awful" and "awesome" merely by looking at how these words were formed.

(Of course, if we take "etymology" in the more general sense of the entire history of a word, then the statement becomes true, but pointless, since it's an obvious tautology.)

 

[Euphony]

Wow. Thanks to all for the comments. Fascinating to see how everyone thinks.

And Im glad to see its not a stark black and white (which would confirm my vocabulary idiocy) Plus one for self esteem

I think I read somewhere (and I cant track it down currently) that despondent has a quality of repeated failure about it, like you can have despair over a wider range of things where despondent is more of a "Oh no, not again". (say youve been looking for jobs for months)

Im not sure if I really read that or Ive subconsciously pulled it out of my ass (I worry I do that when Im in need of a certain something from a word choice, anyone else guilty of this or am I special?)

Ive also started considering how I learned the context of this stuff in the first place. Ive always done well on test etc. but it just came natural to me. When I run across things like this I cant really put a finger on HOW to learn it. (other than reading a ton which I already do and seems a "buckshot" approach) I imagine most of you eclipse my skills so methodology isnt something youve ever thought about. But if you have, or have helped lost souls such as myself walk the righteous path of good vocab, do share.