Translation guide
A state of low spirits, hopelessness, or loss of motivation. Japanese expresses this through emotional vocabulary, physical metaphors, and set phrases describing a heavy or dark heart.
Express a general state of being discouraged, downhearted, or in low spirits.
Strong disappointment or discouragement; often used when hopes are dashed.
I was despondent at the news of failing the exam.
Dejection or being dispirited; literally 'spirit sinking', a common four-character compound.
He is despondent after being rejected in love.
To feel depressed or gloomy; a common colloquial expression for a heavy mood.
Continuous rainy days make me feel despondent.
Melancholy, gloom; a more literary or clinical term for deep sadness.
He wore a despondent expression.
Disappointment or despair; often used in formal or written contexts for deep despondency.
He left his hometown in despondency.
Use body-related idioms to describe a heavy, dark, or sinking feeling.
Heart sinks; a direct metaphor for despondency.
My heart sank when I heard the bad news.
Feeling heavy-hearted; often used when facing an unpleasant task or situation.
Chest feels blocked or tight; expresses emotional heaviness or despondency.
Hearing that story filled me with despondency.
Express despondency that leads to a lack of will to continue.
To lose motivation; a very common phrase for becoming despondent about a task.
I lost all motivation after repeated failures.
Despair, hopelessness; stronger than despondency, often used when all hope is lost.
To become careless or give up in a despondent, reckless way.
Nothing was going right, and I became despondent and reckless.
落胆 is disappointment from a specific event; 意気消沈 is a visible drop in spirits; 憂鬱 is a lingering, often clinical gloom. Use 落胆 for acute reactions, 意気消沈 for demeanor, and 憂鬱 for a sustained state.
Direct translations like 'despondency' as a noun are rarely used in natural Japanese. Instead, use verbs and adjectives (e.g., 落胆する, 気が重い) to describe the feeling.
明日の面接のことを考えると気が重い。
Thinking about tomorrow's interview makes me feel despondent.
彼は将来に絶望している。
He is in despair about his future.