Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA lack of hope; despair.
Sentence Examples
Mennad spoke about his depression and hopelessness.
Nothing is more nefarious than hopelessness.
It is with hopelessness that true optimism begins.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The feeling of ____ filled her as she watched her house burn.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The feeling of ____ can be overwhelming when you don't know how to solve a big problem.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree
Proto-West Germanic *tōhopōnder.
Old English tōhopa
Old English hopa
Middle English hope
English hope
Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁-
Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der.
Proto-Germanic *leusaną
Proto-Germanic *lausaz
Proto-Germanic *-lausaz
Proto-West Germanic *-laus
Old English -lēas
Middle English -les
English -less
English hopeless
Proto-Germanic *-in-
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti
Proto-Germanic *-ōną
Proto-Germanic *-inōną
Proto-Indo-European *-dyé-
Proto-Germanic *-atjaną
Proto-Indo-European *-tus
Proto-Germanic *-þuz
Proto-Germanic *-assuz
Proto-Germanic *-inassuz
Proto-West Germanic *-nassī
Old English -nes
Middle English -nesse
English -ness
English hopelessness
From hopeless + -ness.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Depression can induce an overwhelming sense of sadness and hopelessness."
— 2022 August 23, Dani Blum, “How Can I Tell if I’m Depressed or Burned Out?”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 31 Aug 2022:
"The survey found increasing mental health challenges, experiences of violence, and suicidal thoughts and behavior among all teens. More than 40% of high school students said that feelings of sadness or hopelessness prevented them from engaging in their regular activities for at least two weeks of the year."
— 2023 February 13, Deidre McPhillips, “Teens, especially girls, are experiencing more violence, suicidal thoughts and mental health challenges, CDC survey finds”, in CNN:
"On the app I’d ultimately go with, I presented myself truthfully, as a Republican-curious woman tired of the Democrats’ hopelessness and constant pivoting during a highly charged election year."
— 2025 February 18, Vera Papisova, “I Spent Nearly a Year on a Conservative Dating App as a Liberal—Here’s What I Learned”, in Cosmopolitan: