despond

/dɪˈspɒnd/

Other forms: desponding; desponded; desponds

To despond is to become very downhearted or gloomy. You could say that you tend to despond whenever you think about the end of summer.

As a verb, despond is an old-fashioned word that you'll probably only see in books. It's much more common to hear the related words despondent and despondence. Still, if you don't mind sounding a little outdated, you can urge your little brother not to despond over his glass of spilled milk. The Latin root is despondere, "to give up, lose, lose heart, or resign."

Definitions of despond

1. verb

   lose confidence or hope; become dejected
   “The supporters of the Presidential candidate desponded when they learned the early results of the election”

   type of:

   despair

   abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart