# despairing

> English word · Adjective · IPA /dɪˈspɛəɹ.ɪŋ/ · frequency rank #45,324

## Definitions
1. Feeling, expressing, or caused by despair; hopeless.

## Etymology
From Middle English despeyringe, equivalent to despair + -ing.

## Easily confused with
- **desiring** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desiring-vs-despairing)

## Common misspellings (15)
`ddespairing`, `depsairing`, `desapiring`, `despaiirng`, `despairign`, `despairingg`, `despairinng`, `despairnig`, `despairring`, `despariing`, `despiaring`, `desppairing`, `desspairing`, `dsepairing`, `edspairing`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/despairing