Translation guide
The feeling or state of having no hope; despair. In Japanese, this is expressed through nouns like 絶望, adjectives like 希望がない, and idiomatic phrases.
hopelessness (general despair)
hopeless (situation)
hopeless (person)
Expressing a state of having no hope, often about a situation or the future.
The most direct and common noun for 'hopelessness' or 'despair'. Can be used in formal and informal contexts.
He was so overcome with hopelessness that he couldn't do anything.
Literally 'there is no hope'. A straightforward, everyday way to say something is hopeless.
There's no hope for this plan.
More like 'disappointment' or 'despair' from unmet expectations. Slightly less intense than 絶望.
A literary/emotional term for a helpless, inconsolable sorrow or hopelessness. Often used in poetry or deep emotional expression.
I'm filled with a sense of helpless sorrow.
Expressing personal hopelessness, often about one's abilities or future.
Literally 'can't hold hope in oneself'. Natural way to say you feel hopeless about yourself.
Describing a situation that seems impossible to resolve or escape.
Means 'there's nothing that can be done', 'it's hopeless'. Very common in speech.
Describing a person who is incompetent or beyond help, often in a specific skill or habit.
A 'hopeless person' meaning someone who can't be helped or is incorrigible. Can be affectionate or critical depending on tone.
絶望 (zetsubou) is deep despair or hopelessness, often about a fundamental loss of hope. 失望 (shitsubou) is disappointment, a feeling of being let down by a specific outcome. 絶望 is stronger and more existential.
He despaired of life.
It's a hopeless situation.
結果に失望した。
I was disappointed (felt hopeless) about the results.
I can't have any hope for myself anymore.
To lose confidence; often implies a sense of hopelessness about one's abilities.
After repeated failures, I lost confidence (felt hopeless).
This problem is hopeless.
A more formal phrase meaning 'there is no remedy', 'nothing can be done'. Often used in serious contexts like medicine or disasters.
His illness is hopeless (nothing can be done).
Literally 'blocked in all eight directions'. A vivid idiom for a situation where every option is blocked; complete deadlock.
We're in a completely hopeless deadlock.
He's a really hopeless person.
Means 'beyond saving/redemption'. Stronger than どうしようもない, often used for moral or serious flaws.
That man is a hopeless liar.
Slang for a 'useless person', a 'loser'. Very casual and often self-deprecating.
I'm a hopeless case.
I was disappointed by his attitude.
Avoid directly translating 'hopeless' as 希望がない in all contexts. For a 'hopeless situation', どうしようもない or 絶望的 is more natural. For a 'hopeless person', use どうしようもない人 or 救いようがない.