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Despair vs Depression - What's the difference?

despair | depression |

As nouns the difference between despair and depression

is that despair is loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency while depression is an area that is lower in topography than its surroundings.

As a verb despair

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

despair

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • (obsolete) To give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of.
  • * Milton
  • I would not despair the greatest design that could be attempted.
  • (obsolete) To cause to despair.
  • To be hopeless; to have no hope; to give up all hope or expectation.
  • * Bible, 2 Corinthians i. 8
  • We despaired even of life.

    Noun

  • Loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency.
  • He turned around in despair , aware that he was not going to survive
  • That which is despaired of.
  • Synonyms

    * desperation * despondency * hopelessness

    Anagrams

    * aspired * diapers * praised

    depression

    English

    Noun

  • (lb) An area that is lower in topography than its surroundings.
  • *
  • *:It was not far from the house; but the ground sank into a depression there, and the ridge of it behind shut out everything except just the roof of the tallest hayrick. As one sat on the sward behind the elm, with the back turned on the rick and nothing in front but the tall elms and the oaks in the other hedge, it was quite easy to fancy it the verge of the prairie with the backwoods close by.
  • (lb) In psychotherapy and psychiatry, a state of mind producing serious, long-term lowering of enjoyment of life or inability to visualize a happy future.
  • :
  • (lb) In psychotherapy and psychiatry, a period of unhappiness or low morale which lasts longer than several weeks and may include ideation of self-inflicted injury or suicide.
  • (lb) An area of lowered air pressure that generally brings moist weather, sometimes promoting hurricanes and tornadoes.
  • (lb) A period of major economic contraction.
  • Four consecutive quarters of negative, real GDP growth. See NBER.
  • :
  • A lowering, in particular a reduction in a particular biological variable or the function of an organ, in contrast to elevation.
  • See also

    * downturn * (National Bureau of Economic Research) ----