despond means despondency. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
despond is pronounced /dɪˈspɒnd/.
Why “despond” is a great word
DESPOND — [Noun, Verb] A state of profound dejection from loss of hope or courage; to sink into such a state. From Latin dēspondēre, from dē- ("from, away") + spondēre ("to promise solemnly, pledge"). Earliest English noun use attested 1678 (John Bunyan). Unlike despair, which implies a final, absolute surrender, or languish, which suggests a passive, protracted suffering, despond is the active, inward collapse of the spirit in the face of adversity. It is the climber ceasing to look up the rock face, the slump of shoulders after a final rejection, the silent dinner where a shared future is no longer discussed—a quiet ceremony of unpromising oneself.
verb
- To give up the will, courage, or spirit; to become dejected, lose heart.“Yet still despond not, but proceed
Along the path where fate may lead.”