Hope vs. Despair — What's the Difference?

Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large. As a verb, its definitions include: "expect with confidence" and "to cherish a desire with anticipation."Among its opposites are dejection, hopelessness, and despair.

To lose all hope

To wish for a particular event that one considers possible

To be overcome by a sense of futility or defeat.

(Archaic) To have confidence; trust.

Complete loss of hope.

To desire and consider possible

One despaired of or causing despair

The longing or desire for something accompanied by the belief in the possibility of its occurrence

To give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of.

An instance of such longing or desire

(transitive) To cause to despair.

A source of or reason for such longing or desire

To be hopeless; to have no hope; to give up all hope or expectation.

Often Hope(Christianity) The theological virtue defined as the desire and search for a future good, difficult but not impossible to attain with God's help.

Loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency.

(Archaic) Trust; confidence.

That which causes despair.

To want something to happen, with a sense of expectation that it might.

That which is despaired of. en

To be optimistic; be full of hope; have hopes.

To be hopeless; to have no hope; to give up all hope or expectation; - often with of.

(intransitive) To place confidence; to trust with confident expectation of good; usually followed by in.

To give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of.

To wish.

To cause to despair.

The feeling of trust, confidence, belief or expectation that something wished for can or will happen.

Loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency.

(countable) The actual thing wished for.

That which is despaired of.

(countable) A person or thing that is a source of hope.

A state in which everything seems wrong and will turn out badly;

The virtuous desire for future good.

The feeling that everything is wrong and nothing will turn out well

A hollow; a valley, especially the upper end of a narrow mountain valley when it is nearly encircled by smooth, green slopes; a combe.

Abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart;

A sloping plain between mountain ridges.

(Scotland) A small bay; an inlet; a haven.

A sloping plain between mountain ridges.

A small bay; an inlet; a haven.

A desire of some good, accompanied with an expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable; an expectation of something which is thought to be desirable; confidence; pleasing expectancy.

One who, or that which, gives hope, furnishes ground of expectation, or promises desired good.

That which is hoped for; an object of hope.

To entertain or indulge hope; to cherish a desire of good, or of something welcome, with expectation of obtaining it or belief that it is obtainable; to expect; - usually followed by for.

To place confidence; to trust with confident expectation of good; - usually followed by in.

To desire with expectation or with belief in the possibility or prospect of obtaining; to look forward to as a thing desirable, with the expectation of obtaining it; to cherish hopes of.

To expect; to fear.

A specific instance of feeling hopeful;

The general feeling that some desire will be fulfilled;

Grounds for feeling hopeful about the future;

Someone (or something) on which expectations are centered;

United States comedian (born in England) who appeared in films with Bing Crosby (born in 1903)

One of the three Christian virtues

Expect and wish;

Be optimistic; be full of hope; have hopes;

Intend with some possibility of fulfilment;