desperation

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin desperatio, desperationis. By surface analysis, desperate +‎ ion.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌdɛspəˈɹeɪʃən/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun

desperation (countable and uncountable, plural desperations)

1. The act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope.

   in desperation

   utter desperation

2. A state of despair, or utter hopelessness; abandonment of hope.
   • 1854 August 9, Henry D[avid] Thoreau, “Economy”, in Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC, page 10:

     The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.

3. Reckless fury.
4. Short for bladder desperation.

Translations

the act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope

• Bulgarian: отча́яние (bg) n (otčájanie)
• Catalan: desesperació f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 絕望／绝望 (zh) (juéwàng)

• Danish: desperation c
• French: désespoir (fr) m
• Georgian: სასოწარკვეთილება (sasoc̣arḳvetileba)
• German: Verzweiflung (de) f
• Hindi: हताशा (hatāśā)
• Japanese: 絶望 (ja) (ぜつぼう, zetsubō)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: desperasjon m

  Nynorsk: desperasjon m

• Portuguese: desesperação f
• Romanian: desperare (ro) f
• Russian: отча́яние (ru) n (otčájanije)
• Spanish: desesperación (es) f
• Vietnamese: sự tuyệt vọng (vi)

a state of despair, or utter hopelessness

• Bulgarian: безнаде́ждност (bg) f (beznadéždnost)
• Catalan: desesperació f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 絕望／绝望 (zh) (juéwàng)

• Danish: desperation c
• Finnish: epätoivo (fi)
• Georgian: სასოწარკვეთილება (sasoc̣arḳvetileba)
• German: Verzweiflung (de) f
• Hebrew: ייאוש (he) (ye'ush)
• Irish: anbhá m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: desperasjon m

  Nynorsk: desperasjon m

• Portuguese: desespero (pt) m
• Romanian: desperare (ro) f
• Russian: безнадёжность (ru) f (beznadjóžnostʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: èiginn f
• Spanish: desesperación (es) f
• Swedish: desperation (sv)
• Turkish: umutsuzluk (tr)

Anagrams

• repedations

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin desperatio, desperationis, from desperat +‎ -tion.

Noun

desperation c (singular definite desperationen, plural indefinite desperationer)

1. desperation

Declension

Declension of desperation

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	desperation	desperationen	desperationer	desperationerne
genitive	desperations	desperationens	desperationers	desperationernes

• This noun is rarely used in the plural; it is usually uncountable.

See also

• frustration

References

• “desperation” in Den Danske Ordbog

Swedish

Noun

desperation c

1. desperation

   känna desperation

   feel desperation

Declension

Declension of desperation
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	desperation	desperationen	desperationer	desperationerna
Genitive	desperations	desperationens	desperationers	desperationernas

Related terms

• desperat (“desperate”)

References

• desperation in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• desperation in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• desperation in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)