Full of despair; characterized by hopelessness and a sense that nothing can improve.
From despair + -ful (suffix meaning full of). This poetic term has older English roots but remained literary rather than becoming common in modern speech.
Medieval and Romantic poets loved 'despairful' to describe tragic situations—it's an older word that's richer and more dramatic than simply saying 'hopeless,' which is why you still find it in classical literature.
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