---
title: despondency — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «despondency» in the school dictionary: Despondency is a feeling of low spirits and lost hope, being very sad and unwilling to try. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# despondency

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** Despondency, Toad, team, kind word, word, our · **What happens:** be, lose, try, sink, lift, despond · **To what, where:** feeling, despondency, final, rain, Slough

<!-- .vabout -->
«despondency» in the school dictionary: its meaning for a pupil and its 6 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [despondency in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/despondency.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Despondency is a feeling of low spirits and lost hope, being very sad and unwilling to try.

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:despondency:m1:1
# text = Despondency is a feeling of low spirits and lost hope, being very sad and unwilling to try.
1	Despondency	despondency	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	feeling	feeling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	low	low	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	spirits	spirit	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
9	lost	lose	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	10	amod	_	_
10	hope	hope	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
12	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	14	cop	_	_
13	very	very	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
14	sad	sad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	parataxis	_	_
15	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
16	unwilling	unwilling	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	conj	_	_
17	to	to	PART	TO	_	18	mark	_	_
18	try	try	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	16	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Despondency | a feeling |  |  |  | of low spirits and lost hope | tree rules |
| 2 | **lose** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **is** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | sad *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **be** |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 5 | **try** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Experiencer |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Toad sank into despondency in his dark cell.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:despondency:x1:1
# text = Toad sank into despondency in his dark cell.
1	Toad	Toad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	sank	sink	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	into	into	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	despondency	despondency	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
7	dark	dark	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	cell	cell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sink** | past | Toad |  |  | despondency |  | in Toad's dark cell | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
After losing the final, the team was full of despondency.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:despondency:x2:1
# text = After losing the final, the team was full of despondency.
1	After	after	SCONJ	IN	_	2	mark	_	_
2	losing	lose	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	9	advcl	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	final	final	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	team	team	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
8	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
9	full	full	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	despondency	despondency	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lose** | gerund | the team *not said here* | the final |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent final=Eventuality |
| 2 | **is** | past | the team |  |  |  |  | of despondency; full *property* | tree rules |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A kind word lifted her despondency.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:despondency:x3:1
# text = A kind word lifted her despondency.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	kind	kind	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	lifted	lift	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	despondency	despondency	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lift** | past | a kind word | word's despondency |  |  |  |  | vn put\_direction-9.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent despondency=Theme |
| 2 | **despond** |  | word |  |  |  |  |  | nom despondency «feeling intransitive»: poss=agent |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The rain added to our despondency.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:despondency:x4:1
# text = The rain added to our despondency.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	rain	rain	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	added	add	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	acl	_	_
4	to	to	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	our	our	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	despondency	despondency	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **add** *speech: assert* | participle |  | the rain *not said here* |  |  |  | to our despondency | vn mix-22.1-2 «NP V ADVP-Middle PP»: agent=Patient to despondency=Co-Patient |
| 2 | **despond** |  | our |  |  |  |  |  | nom despondency «feeling intransitive»: poss=agent |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In his despondency he refused to eat.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:despondency:x5:1
# text = In his despondency he refused to eat.
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
3	despondency	despondency	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
4	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
5	refused	refuse	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	eat	eat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **refuse** | past | he |  |  | his despondency |  |  | vn reject-77.2 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **not** **eat** | to-infinitive | he *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **despond** |  | his *= he* |  |  |  |  |  | nom despondency «feeling intransitive»: poss=agent |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Christian fell into the Slough of Despond.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:despondency:x6:1
# text = Christian fell into the Slough of Despond.
1	Christian	Christian	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	nsubj	_	_
2	fell	fall	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	into	into	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	Slough	Slough	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	Despond	Despond	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fall** | past | Christian |  |  |  |  | into the Slough of Despond *result* | vn become-109.1-1 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Patient into slough=Result |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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