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blackness of despair

blackness of despair

8.0
A very strong feeling that nothing will get better and you have no hope
  • noun
  • Literature
translation icon : negrura de la desesperación
  • As the news sank in, a blackness of despair settled over her.

Examples

  • The blackness of despair was palpable in the room.

  • He felt the blackness of despair enveloping him.

  • He wrote poetry about the blackness of despair he felt after losing his job.

  • Many people experience the blackness of despair during difficult times in their lives.

  • As the news sank in, a blackness of despair settled over her.

  • He wrote poetry about the blackness of despair he felt after losing his job.

  • Many people experience the blackness of despair during difficult times in their lives.

Synonyms

despair
vsblackness of despair
210 3.5

A complete loss of hope

is a more overwhelming, engulfing darkness-like feeling than simple loss of hope
gloom
vsblackness of despair
46 3.2

A feeling of sadness and low spirits

is a deeper, darker, more engulfing no hope feeling than general sadness
hopelessness
vsblackness of despair
28 4.1

A feeling that nothing will get better

is a deeper, more engulfing no hope feeling with darkness imagery
melancholy
vsblackness of despair
20 4.9

A deep, long-lasting feeling of sadness

is more overwhelming and includes a sense of being engulfed by darkness
pall
vsblackness of despair
8 8.0

A sad heavy feeling that hangs over a place

is more internal and overwhelming, felt as being engulfed by darkness
bleakness
vsblackness of despair
3 6.3

A cold, empty feeling that makes a place or situation seem sad

is a more personal engulfing no hope feeling rather than a desolate atmosphere
pit of despair
vsblackness of despair
  • Informal
2 9.0

A very deep feeling of sadness with no hope

is especially felt as being engulfed by darkness rather than only deep sadness
gloominess
vsblackness of despair
1 3.4

A feeling of sadness and little hope felt by people or in a place

is a much more overwhelming personal feeling of being engulfed by darkness
moroseness
vsblackness of despair
1 8.4

A gloomy, unfriendly mood that makes a person quiet and hard to approach

is deeper and without hope, felt as engulfing darkness rather than sullen mood
abjectness
vsblackness of despair
  • Formal
8.8

Extreme misery and suffering that makes life very hard

is centered on overwhelming inner darkness and total absence of hope
lowness
vsblackness of despair
5.8

A time when someone feels sad and without energy

is a much more overwhelming no hope darkness feeling than ordinary low spirits
glumness
vsblackness of despair
6.6

A quiet feeling of sadness and low spirits

is a far more intense engulfing no hope darkness feeling than ordinary sadness

Antonyms

1.0

A feeling that something good will happen

209 2.8

A tendency to expect good results and see the positive side of things

How Hopeless

blackness of despair
  • Literature
8.0
despair
210 3.5
sadness
229 1.0
disappointment
223 1.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

blackness + of + despair

The phrase composes 'blackness' (darkness) with 'despair' (hopelessness) in a straightforward metaphorical way, so the meaning 'a darkness-like feeling of hopelessness' is directly inferable from the parts. This follows common cross-linguistic mappings (darkness = negative emotion) and a regular English noun-of-noun composition, so a learner who knows the constituents can readily understand it.

Etymology

Blackness of despair paints the picture of a heavy, dark cloud closing in. Blackness shows deep darkness and despair shows deep sadness, so it means 'feeling hopeless'.