different between downcast vs despair

English

Etymology

From Middle English *doun-casten, *adoun-casten (inferred from Middle English adoun-casting (“downcasting”), adoun-cast (“overthrow, destruction”)), modelled similarly to other constructions in Middle English (namely, Middle English adoun-throwen (“to throw down”), adoun-werpen (“to throw down”)), equivalent to down- +? cast.

Pronunciation

• (adjective, noun)
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /?da?nkæst/
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?da?nk??st/
• (verb)
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /da?n?kæst/
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /da?n?k??st/

Adjective

downcast (comparative more downcast, superlative most downcast)

1. (of eyes) Looking downwards.
   • 1717, John Dryden, Canace to Macareus

     'Tis love, said she; and then my downcast eyes, / And guilty dumbness, witness'd my surprise.

2. (of a person) Feeling despondent.

Translations

Noun

downcast (plural downcasts)

1. (computing) A cast from supertype to subtype.
2. (obsolete) A melancholy look.
   • 1619, Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, The Maid's Tragedy

     That downcast of thine eye.

3. (mining) A ventilating shaft down which the air passes in circulating through a mine.

Verb

downcast (third-person singular simple present downcasts, present participle downcasting, simple past and past participle downcast or downcasted)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To cast or throw down; to turn downward.
2. (transitive, Scotland) To taunt; to reproach; to upbraid.
3. (transitive, computing) To cast from supertype to subtype.

   Antonym: upcast

Anagrams

• cast down

English

Etymology

From Middle English dispeir, from Anglo-Norman despeir and Old French desperer (from Latin despero, desperare), or desesperer, from des- (“dis-”) + esperer (“hope”). See also desperate

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /d??sp??(?)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /d??sp???/
• Hyphenation: des?pair

Verb

despair (third-person singular simple present despairs, present participle despairing, simple past and past participle despaired)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of.
2. (transitive, obsolete) To cause to despair.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Sir W. Williams to this entry?)

3. (intransitive, often with “of”) To be hopeless; to have no hope; to give up all hope or expectation.

Translations

Noun

despair (countable and uncountable, plural despairs)

1. Loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency.

   He turned around in despair, aware that he was not going to survive

2. That which causes despair.
3. That which is despaired of. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Synonyms

• desperation
• despondency
• hopelessness

Antonyms

• hope

Translations

Anagrams

• Piedras, aperids, aspired, diapers, praised, pre-AIDS