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Despair vs Anguish - What's the difference?

despair | anguish |

As verbs the difference between despair and anguish

is that despair is to give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of while anguish is to suffer pain.

As nouns the difference between despair and anguish

is that despair is loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency while anguish is extreme pain, either of body or mind; excruciating distress.

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

    anguish

    English

    Noun

  • Extreme pain, either of body or mind; excruciating distress.
  • * Bible, Exodus vi. 9
    • But they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
  • * Latimer
    • Ye miserable people, you must go to God in anguishes , and make your prayer to him.
  • * 1889 , :
    • A terrible scream—a prolonged yell of horror and anguish —burst out of the silence of the moor. That frightful cry turned the blood to ice in my veins.

    Synonyms

    * agony, calvary, cross, pang, torture, torment * See also:

    Related terms

    () * agnail, hangnail * anger * angst * anxiety * anxious * terminal anguish

    Verb

    (es)
  • To suffer pain.
  • * (rfdate) 1900s , Kl. Knigge, Iceland Folk Song , traditional, Harmony: H. Ruland
    • We’re leaving these shores for our time has come, the days of our youth must now end. The hearts bitter anguish , it burns for the home that we’ll never see again.
  • To cause to suffer pain.

    • External links

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