[mass noun]the complete loss or absence of hope 绝望;无望 driven to despair, he throws himself under a train. 他陷入绝望,一头撞到了火车底下。 in despair, I hit the bottle. 绝望中,我砸掉了一个瓶子。
verb
[no obj.]lose or be without hope 失去希望;没有希望 we should not despair. 我们不应该失去希望。 he was beginning to despair of ever knowing. 他开始放弃了了解这件事的希望。 [as adj. despairing]he gave a despairing little shrug. 他轻轻耸肩,表示已没有希望。
常用词组 be the despair of
be the cause of a feeling of hopelessness in (someone else) 是使(别人)感到绝望 such students can be the despair of conscientious teachers. 这种学生让尽心尽责的老师们感到绝望。
派生 despairingly adverb 语源
Middle English: the noun via Anglo-Norman French from Old French desespeir; the verb from Old French desperer, from Latin desperare, from de- 'down from' + sperare 'to hope'