▪ I. despair, n.
(dɪˈspɛə(r))
Forms: see the verb.
[ME. des-, dis-peir, -pair, a. OF. *despeir, despoir, vbl. n. from desperer (tonic stem despeir-, despoir-). Cf. also F. désespoir (12th c.) whence desespeir.]
1. a. The action or condition of despairing or losing hope; a state of mind in which there is entire want of hope; hopelessness. counsel of despair: see counsel n. 2 c.
| c 1325 Metr. Hom. 170 No man in dyspayr thar [= need] be..If they wyll call on oure Lauedy. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 2557 Phyllis, She for dispeyr [v.rr. dis-, dyspayre] fordede hyre self, allas! c 1386 ― Pars. T. ¶619 Now comeþ wanhope þat is despair [v.rr. dis-, despeir(e, dispeyr] of þe mercy of god. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xvi. 370 He sayth it like a man that is in dyspeyre. 1503–4 Act 19 Hen. VII, c. 28 Pream., The seid sueters..were..in dispayre of expedicion of ther suetes. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. i. xix. 23 Seeing theyre matters too be in despaire of succour, and not able to holde out any longer. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 191 What reinforcement we may gain from Hope, If not what resolution from despare. 1690 Locke Hum. Und. ii. xx. (1695) 122 Despair is the thought of the unattainableness of any Good. 1726 Adv. Capt. R. Boyle 256 This..drove me almost to Despair, and I lost all Hopes of ever procuring my Liberty. 1769 Junius Lett. xii. 48, I give up the cause in despair. 1843 Prescott Mexico vi. viii. (1864) 400 Some..gathering strength from despair, maintained..a desperate fight. 1847 Tennyson Princ. iv. 444 It becomes no man to nurse despair. 1887 Bowen Virg. æneid ii. 298 Wails of despair broke over the town. |
b. Rarely in pl.
| 1560 A. L. tr. Calvin's Foure Serm. ii, Our spirit is wrapped in many dispaires. 1613 Shakes. Hen. VIII, ii. ii. 29 Feares, and despaires, and all these for his Marriage. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. ix. vi. §40 Their hopes were..turned into despairs. |
c. personified.
| a 1610 Mirr. Mag. 66 (R.), I am (quoth she) thy friend Despaire. 1667 Milton P.L. xi. 489 Despair Tended the sick busiest from Couch to Couch. 1781 Cowper Hope 58 Hollow-eyed Abstinence, and lean Despair. 1821 Shelley Prometh. Unb. i. 576 Till Despair smothers The struggling world, which slaves and tyrants win. |
2. transf. That which causes despair, or about which there is no hope.
| 1605 Shakes. Macb. iv. iii. 152 Strangely-visited people, All swolne and Vlcerous..The meere despaire of Surgery, he cures. 1821 Shelley Hellas Pref., Those faultless productions, whose very fragments are the despair of modern art. 1876 E. Mellor Priesth. viii. 390 If the adult population are the despair of the priests, the children are their hope. |
¶ 3. Used by Wyclif app. for: False or mistaken hope. (Cf. despair v. 4.)
| c 1380 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. I. 42 Eche man shal hope for to come to blisse; and if he lyve febly and make þis hope fals, himsilf is cause whi his hope is suche. Ffor þis fals hope, þat sum men do clepen dispeir, shulde have anoþir qualite. |
† 4. without any dispayre: a metrical tag, meaning apparently ‘without doubt, without fail, certainly, iwis’: perhaps an alteration of ‘without diswere, disware’, of earlier use.
| c 1470 Harding Chron. cxxx. i, Whiche Henry was erle notified Of Huntyngdon without any dispayre. Ibid. cxxxiv. iv, Isabell the fayre His doughter was without any dispayre. |
▪ II. despair, v.
(dɪˈspɛə(r))
Forms: 4–6 des-, dis-, dys-, -peir(e, -peyr(e, -payr(e, dispar(e, -paire, 5 disspare, -paire, dyspere, despeyer, 5–7 despere, -pare, -paire, -payr, 5–8 dispair, 6 dyspayer, 4– despair.
[ME. des-, dis-peiren, -payren, a. OF. despeir-, stressed stem-form of desperer:—L. dēspērāre to despair, f. de- I. 6 + spērāre to hope. (Displaced in F. by dés-espérer, a Romanic compound of espérer to hope: so Pr. and Sp. desesperar.)]
1. intr. To lose or give up hope; to be without hope. Const. of (with indirect passive to be despaired of); rarely † in (obs.), to with inf.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter cxviii. 156 Of synful men peryss nane thare [= need] dispayre. 1382 Wyclif 2 Cor. ii. 7 Lest perauenture he that is such maner man..dispeire. c 1400 Apol. Loll. 90 Þat he despering in þe mercy of God, trust in þe cloþis of men. 1530 Palsgr. 514/1, I despayre, I am in wan hope, je despere. 1552 Latimer Serm. in Lincoln v. 103 Phisicions had dispeired of that woman, it passed theyr cunning to helpe her. 1588 A. King tr. Canisius' Catech., Confess. 3 To dispaire in Gode his mercy. 1606 Earl of Northampton in True & Perfect Relat. Hh iv b, He dispayred in Gods protection. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. iii. xl. 255 Despairing of the justice of the sons of Samuel, they would have a King. 1680 Burnet Rochester 13 He almost dispaired to recover it. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 159 ¶6 As long as you hope, I will not despair. 1718 Lady M. W. Montagu Lett. (1887) I. 241 His life was despaired of. 1770 Langhorne Plutarch (1879) I. 117/1 Tarquin, despairing to reascend the throne by stratagem, applied [etc.]. 1838 Thirlwall Greece IV. 81 He did not despair of being able to find excuses. 1856 Emerson Eng. Traits, Times Wks. (Bohn) II. 117 When Cobden had begun to despair, it announced his triumph. |
† b. refl. in same sense. Obs.
| c 1386 Chaucer Merch. T. 425 Dispaire yow nought. ― Pars. T. ¶624 He that despeireth hym, is lyke the coward campioun recreant. 1483 Caxton Cato F vj b, Thou oughtest not to dyspeyre the. 1491 ― Vitas Patr. (W. de W. 1495) ii. 242 b/2 He wolde dyspere hymselfe. 1502 Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W. 1506) ii. x. 116 Suche lecherous people dyspeyre them whan y⊇ houre cometh of theyr departynge. |
† c. to be despaired, in same sense: see despaired ppl. a. 1. Obs.
† 2. trans. To deprive of hope, cast into despair. Obs. rare.
| 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. x. 38 That no deuel shal ȝow dere ne despeir in ȝoure deyinge. a 1595 Sir R. Williams Actions Low C. 30 (T.) Having no hope to despair the governour to deliver it [the fort] into their enemies' hands. a 1618 Raleigh Dialogue, To despaire all his faithfull subjects. |
† 3. trans. To cease to hope for, to be without hope of; = despair of in 1. Obs. or arch.
| c 1485 Digby Myst. (1882) v. 467 Thei that despeyer mercy haue grett conpunccion. 1597 J. King On Jonas (1618) 597 Rotten members, whose cure is despaired. 1605 Shakes. Macb. v. viii. 13, Macbeth. I beare a charmed Life..Macduff. Dispaire thy Charme. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 660 Peace is despaird, For who can think Submission? 1706 Watts Horæ Lyr. iii. 269 How are his curtains drawn For a long evening that despairs the dawn! 1732 Ld. Lansdowne Ess. Unnat. Flights (T.), Love, despairing in her heart a place, Would needs take up his lodging in her face. 1773 Hist. Ld. Ainsworth I. 31, I had almost begun to despair ever meeting her again. |
¶ 4. Used by Wyclif app. in sense: To hope amiss, to indulge false or mistaken hope. (Cf. prec. n. 3.)
| c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 339 He..is folily disceyued in hise bileue and in hope, and þus he dispeyreþ. |