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Disbelief vs Despair - What's the difference?

disbelief | despair |

As nouns the difference between disbelief and despair

is that disbelief is unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case while despair is loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency.

As a verb despair is

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

disbelief

English

Noun

  • Unpreparedness, unwillingness, or inability to believe that something is the case.
    • She cried out in disbelief on hearing that terrorists had crashed an airplane into the World Trade Center in New York City.
  • Astonishment.
    • I stared in disbelief at the Grand Canyon.
  • The loss or abandonment of a belief; cessation of belief.
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    • Synonyms

    * incredulity

    Related terms

    * * * disbelieve

    References

    * * *

    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