desesperación
/desespeɾaθjon/from spelling rules
The English word 'despair' is translated into Spanish as desesperación.
desesperación is the most common and direct translation for the noun 'despair'. Depending on the nuance you wish to convey, other words may be more precise: angustia expresses deep anguish or distress. pena refers to sadness or grief. abatimiento describes a state of extreme dejection or demoralization. desaliento conveys discouragement or disheartenment. And desánimo is an informal way to express being disheartened or demoralized.
Meaning: loss of hope (noun)
Which one should you use?
While desesperación refers to the state of despair, desesperanza is a more specific term used to denote the literal absence of hope or a lack of confidence in the future.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a feminine noun, desesperación is typically used with the definite article la (e.g., la desesperación). To describe a person who is in a state of despair using an adjective, use desesperado for males and desesperada for females. Related verbs include desesperarse or desesperanzarse to mean 'to be hopeless', and desesperanzar to mean 'to cause to despair'.
How do you pronounce it?
/desespeɾaθjon/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word esperar means both 'to hope' and 'to wait', so the root of desesperación literally implies the act of 'un-waiting' or losing the ability to wait for something to happen.
- While English speakers use 'despair' as a heavy, often poetic noun, a Spaniard might use the verb desesperarse in a much more casual, everyday sense to mean 'to drive someone crazy' or 'to lose one's patience'.
- In Spanish literature, the state of desesperación is often linked to the concept of 'desengaño', a specific cultural disillusionment with the world.
Examples in context
- Me dejaste en la desesperación.You left me in despair.This sentence shows how to use desesperación to describe being left in a state of despair.Tatoeba #5457482 by albrusgher, translation #25488 by ToxicFriu
- La desesperación lo llevó a intentar suicidarse.Despair drove him to attempt suicide.This sentence demonstrates how desesperación can be the driving force behind an action.Tatoeba #5589284 by albrusgher, translation #328486 by fcbond
- Un silencio inquietante llenó el aire con desesperación.An eerie silence filled the air with despair.This sentence illustrates the use of desesperación to describe an atmosphere or feeling in the air.Tatoeba #6391111 by dfrankmv, translation #4873694 by meirad
- Siento una gran desesperación en mi corazónI feel great despair in my heart
- Estoy sintiendo una angustia inmensa, no sé cómo salir de aquíI'm feeling immense distress, I don't know how to get out of here
- Me consume una profunda pena que no puedo describirI am consumed by a deep despair that I cannot describe
- Siento un abatimiento que me impide avanzarI feel a despair that prevents me from moving forward
- Estoy experimentando un profundo desaliento en estos momentosI am experiencing deep despair at the moment
- Me invade una desesperanza abrumadora ante esta situaciónI am overwhelmed by a crushing despair in this situation
- No puedo evitar sentir un gran desánimo ante lo que está sucediendoI can't help but feel a great despair about what is happening
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking about a very difficult situation.
- SofíaSiento una gran desesperación por este problema.I feel a great despair because of this problem.
- MateoNo te rindas, Sofía, siempre hay una solución.Don't give up, Sofía, there is always a solution.
- SofíaEs que la desesperación no me deja pensar.It's just that despair won't let me think.
- MateoTranquila, yo te ayudaré a salir de esto.Calm down, I will help you get out of this.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
