dark despair

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "dark despair" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a profound sense of hopelessness or sadness, often in a literary or poetic context. Example: "As she wandered through the empty streets, she was engulfed by a dark despair that seemed to swallow her whole."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

Myself, I feel a dark despair.

The New Yorker

The devil's intermediary in the play, Mephistopheles, achieves tragic grandeur in his own right as a fallen angel torn between satanic pride and dark despair.

Encyclopedia Britannica

In Doctor Faustus (published 1604), by the English dramatist Christopher Marlowe, Mephistopheles achieves tragic grandeur as a fallen angel, torn between satanic pride and dark despair.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The epigraph to "Damascus Gate" comes from Melville's long poem, "Clarel," which he wrote after visiting Palestine in 1857, where he found nothing but mystery and dark despair.

The New York Times - Books

Some pundits are in dark despair over the decline of reading and print, convinced that we're becoming a nation of addled multitaskers who stare at screens all day.

The New York Times

"I have never arrived at the point of dark despair, which quite often happened to me during the apartheid years, but I am by nature an optimist," he reflects.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

That said, Episode 11, "Sometimes a Great Nation" makes every previous episode look like "The Music Man". Dark, despairing, despondent, all the big D words would work here.

Los Angeles Times

(Dare we compare her to Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway?) She knows the darkest despair.

The New York Times - Books

The tone of the songs' delivery segues from sprightly innocence to a darker despair, with undertones of squalor and sordidness.

The New York Times

That would emphasize the cinematography highlights and the best thing about the film, the high contrast black and white footage that overtakes color as the characters grow into darker despair.

Huffington Post

His interpretation of the 1963 march diminished the prior mass movement to portray Dr. King as the lone spark in dark national despair.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

To make the phrase more impactful, pair it with vivid imagery or sensory details that enhance the feeling of hopelessness.

Common error

Avoid using "dark despair" in everyday or lighthearted contexts. Its intensity can feel exaggerated or out of place if the situation doesn't warrant such a strong expression of sadness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "dark despair" functions as a noun phrase, where "dark" modifies the noun "despair", intensifying its meaning. It commonly acts as the object of a verb or preposition, describing a state of profound hopelessness. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Encyclopedias

10%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Science

10%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "dark despair" is a noun phrase used to express a deep and overwhelming sense of hopelessness and sadness. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability. While the phrase is not exceedingly common, its use is appropriate in serious or dramatic contexts, primarily in news, encyclopedias and scientific writing. When seeking alternatives, consider phrases like "profound sadness" or "utter hopelessness" to convey similar sentiments with slight variations in nuance. It's important to consider the intensity and formality of "dark despair" when choosing it for your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

profound sadness

Emphasizes the depth of sorrow experienced.

deep sorrow

Highlights the intensity and depth of the sadness.

utter hopelessness

Focuses on the complete absence of hope.

bleak outlook

Suggests a pessimistic view of the future.

crushing grief

Highlights the overwhelming nature of the sorrow.

profound melancholy

Emphasizes a deep and prolonged sadness.

extreme despondency

Focuses on a state of low spirits and loss of hope.

unyielding sorrow

Highlights the persistent and unchanging nature of the sadness.

abject misery

Emphasizes a state of extreme unhappiness and suffering.

despairing gloom

Highlights the feeling of hopelessness combined with darkness or sadness.

FAQs

How can I effectively use "dark despair" in a sentence?

Use "dark despair" to convey a profound sense of hopelessness and sadness, often in literary or dramatic contexts. For example: "The news filled her with a "dark despair" that she couldn't shake."

What phrases are similar in meaning to "dark despair"?

You can use alternatives like "profound sadness", "deep sorrow", or "utter hopelessness" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "dark despair" appropriate for all types of writing?

No, "dark despair" is best suited for serious, dramatic, or literary contexts. It may sound out of place in casual or lighthearted writing. Consider less intense alternatives in those situations.

What distinguishes "dark despair" from simple "despair"?

The adjective "dark" intensifies the feeling of despair, suggesting a more profound, overwhelming, and perhaps sinister sense of hopelessness. It adds a layer of depth and emotional weight to the phrase.