despondent
Utterly losing heart
Despondent describes someone who has lost hope or confidence, sunk into dejection.
It's stronger than merely sad—there's a sense of having given up: After months of rejection letters, she grew despondent about her job search.
The despondent person sees no way forward, no reason for optimism.
Beyond possibility of success
- helplessUnable to act independently
- defeatedOvercome in contest
- resignedYielded to circumstances
- despairingCompletely without hope
discouraged · disheartened · demoralized · dismayed · powerless · futile · fatalistic · pessimistic
Inclined toward reflective sorrow
- somberGravely serious in mood
- moroseSullenly ill-humored
- gloomyDark and dispiriting
- heavyheartedDeeply sad or dejected
downhearted · blue · pensive · wistful · plaintive · lugubrious · glum · saturnine
Longing for the past
- homesickLonging for one's dwelling
- lovesickPining from romantic longing
- piningAching with prolonged desire
- yearningIntense prolonged craving
longing · wistful · misty-eyed · regretful · rueful · forlorn · lonely · abandoned
Deprived through loss
- bereavedDeprived by death
- grief-strickenOverwhelmed by profound loss
- heartbrokenOverwhelmed with grief
- anguishedSeverely emotionally distressed
sorrowful · mournful · grieving · lamenting · woeful · doleful · stricken · afflicted
Responsible for wrongdoing
- remorsefulFeeling guilt for wrongdoing
- repentantFeeling sorrow for misdeeds
- guilt-riddenTormented by remorse
- ashamedFeeling guilt and disgrace
contrite · regretful · rueful · penitent · conscience-stricken · chagrined · apologetic · sorrowful
hopeless
Beyond possibility of success
despairing · discouraged · disheartened · demoralized · dismayed · powerless · futile · fatalistic · pessimistic · dejected
melancholic
Inclined toward reflective sorrow
heavyhearted · downhearted · blue · pensive · wistful · plaintive · lugubrious · glum · saturnine · low-spirited
nostalgic
Longing for the past
- homesickLonging for one's dwelling
- lovesickPining from romantic longing
- piningAching with prolonged desire
yearning · longing · wistful · misty-eyed · regretful · rueful · forlorn · lonely · abandoned · desolate
bereft
Deprived through loss
- bereavedDeprived by death
- grief-strickenOverwhelmed by profound loss
- heartbrokenOverwhelmed with grief
anguished · sorrowful · mournful · grieving · lamenting · woeful · doleful · stricken · afflicted · devastated
guilty
Responsible for wrongdoing
- remorsefulFeeling guilt for wrongdoing
- repentantFeeling sorrow for misdeeds
- guilt-riddenTormented by remorse
ashamed · contrite · regretful · rueful · penitent · conscience-stricken · chagrined · apologetic · sorrowful · troubled
- sadnesssad, unhappy, grief, sorrowful, heartbroken
- dejectiondejected, discouraged, disheartened, dispirited, downcast
- mood symptomssadness, hopelessness, worthlessness, anhedonia, low mood
- mopingbrooding, sulking, wallowing, pouting, sighing
- "Low" meaningsbottom, ground, floor, base, valley
- sombergloomy, bleak, dreary, dismal, melancholy
despondenthopeful
Feeling positive expectation
optimistic · sanguine · heartened · confident · encouraged