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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective hopeless differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of hopeless are despairing, desperate, and despondent. While all these words mean "having lost all or nearly all hope," hopeless suggests despair and the cessation of effort or resistance and often implies acceptance or resignation.

the situation of the trapped miners is hopeless

When is despairing a more appropriate choice than hopeless?

The meanings of despairing and hopeless largely overlap; however, despairing suggests the slipping away of all hope and often despondency.

despairing appeals for the return of the kidnapped child

In what contexts can desperate take the place of hopeless?

While the synonyms desperate and hopeless are close in meaning, desperate implies despair that prompts reckless action or violence in the face of defeat or frustration.

one last desperate attempt to turn the tide of battle

When can despondent be used instead of hopeless?

While in some cases nearly identical to hopeless, despondent implies a deep dejection arising from a conviction of the uselessness of further effort.

despondent about yet another rejection

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hopeless Eagles frequently feature in Tolkien’s stories, often swooping in and saving other characters from seemingly hopeless situations. Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 5 May 2025 Patients in the study described feeling hopeless and disheartened, less confident and less competent. Indu Subramanian, The Conversation, 1 May 2025 All seemed hopeless for Moore and Mansell, until, out of the blue, a lawyer with the Office of the White House Counsel contacted Moore’s defense lawyers, Seitles and Litwin-Diego, in April to inquire about the case. Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 30 May 2025 The longtime psych-rock staple co-wrote the album with filmmaker Matt Yoka to be a collection of American stories about hopeless kleptomaniacs, urban explorers, and other people who slip through the cracks. Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for hopeless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hopeless
Adjective
  • Steve Carell plays Randall Garrett, the group’s Peter Thiel-esque mentor who, not unlike the late Steve Jobs, has cancer that his doctor tells him is incurable.
    Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 4 June 2025
  • The spread of an incurable disease and a spate of grove-destroying hurricanes have forced juice companies to rely heavily on oranges imported from Brazil and Mexico.
    Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 5 May 2025
Adjective
  • Robbins will play Russell Kind, a rough and grizzled settler with a cynical world view.
    Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 12 June 2025
  • Of course, given the ubiquity of such ambitious politicians of all flavors, everywhere, all the time, the charge of cynical opportunism has fairly short legs.
    Dain Fitzgerald, The Washington Examiner, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • Cadence customer MediaTek even said that the M2000 enabled previously impossible simulations for dynamic IR, while customer Supermicro said the M2000 delivered 8x faster thermal simulations for its server designs.
    Anshel Sag, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
  • Yet enforcement was impossible, for there was no way to track down absent and delinquent fathers.
    Augustine Sedgewick, Time, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • In this story, the baby was in desperate need of nourishment, so the mother ran between two hills seven times to try to procure water for the baby.
    Monica Haider, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
  • Racing is in desperate need of stars and the chase for the Triple Crown is one way of getting them.
    John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, in Germany, Avi tries to fill the hole left by Margarita’s absence with a trip of his own, embarking on a personal journey, both hope-inducing and despairing.
    Troy McMullen, ABC News, 8 June 2025
  • So Far Obscure philosophies The manifesto’s author pulled together various references to obscure philosophies in order to flesh out his ideas, indicating a mindset shaped by a confused amalgamation of toxic and despairing internet subcultures.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2025
Adjective
  • Banks: There’s a reason why the theater [symbol] is a happy face/sad face.
    Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2025
  • To some, this may sound bizarre, laughable, or even just plain sad.
    Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 June 2025
Adjective
  • CEOs’ responses were pessimistic about many business factors.
    Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
  • Still, some scholars remain pessimistic about the odds of deciphering khipus with any certainty.
    Sam Kean, The Atlantic, 26 May 2025
Adjective
  • Additionally, the more fiscally conservative Senate is increasingly unhappy with the cost of the bill, which is estimated to add $3.1 trillion to the deficit over the next decade.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Trump is unhappy with Musk’s outburst, but Republicans are downplaying the effect on their agenda bill Trump confirmed their relationship has soured, with Musk repeatedly blasting the president’s sweeping domestic agenda bill in recent days and a public fight on social media on Thursday.
    Matt Egan, CNN Money, 6 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hopeless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hopeless. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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