A small, solitary figure sitting slumped on a dark, barren hill under a heavy, colorless sky, illustrating deep hopelessness.

desesperación

des-es-pe-ra-SYON

nounfB1

despair?feeling of hopelessness,desperation?state of intense need or urgency

Also:hopelessness?general lack of hope,anguish?deep mental suffering

📝 In Action

La desesperación se apoderó de él cuando perdió el trabajo.

Despair overwhelmed him when he lost his job.

Actuamos por pura desesperación, buscando una solución rápida.

We acted out of pure desperation, looking for a quick solution.

El retraso del tren causó mucha desesperación entre los pasajeros.

The train delay caused a lot of desperation among the passengers.

Word Connections

Synonyms

angustia (anguish)
desánimo (discouragement)
abatimiento (dejection)

Antonyms

esperanza (hope)
optimismo (optimism)

Common Collocations

causar desesperación – to cause despair
sentir desesperación – to feel despair
al borde de la desesperación – on the verge of despair

💡 Grammar Points

Gender Consistency

Since 'desesperación' is a feminine noun, any descriptive words (adjectives) you use with it must also be feminine, like 'profunda desesperación' (deep despair).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using the wrong preposition

Mistake: "Hizo esto de desesperación."

Correction: Hizo esto por desesperación. (Use 'por' to show the reason or motive behind an action.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Expressing the feeling

The most natural way to say you are experiencing this emotion is using the verb 'sentir': 'Siento mucha desesperación.' (I feel a lot of despair.)

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: desesperación

Question 1 of 1

Which Spanish phrase correctly describes acting due to a state of extreme distress?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

desesperar(to despair/to lose hope) - verb

desesperado(desperate/hopeless) - adjective

desesperadamente(desperately) - adverb

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'desesperación' and 'desesperanza'?

'Desesperación' (despair/desperation) is a strong, active, and often acute feeling of distress that can lead to action. 'Desesperanza' (hopelessness) is a more passive, general state of lacking hope for the future. While similar, 'desesperación' carries a stronger emotional intensity.

How do I use 'desesperación' in a sentence about a situation?

You can say the situation 'caused' the feeling: 'El tráfico causó mucha desesperación.' (The traffic caused a lot of desperation.)