Hopelessness

/ˈhoʊpləsnəs/ noun

Definition

The feeling or state of having no hope; the quality of being impossible to accomplish or solve.

Etymology

From 'hopeless' (without hope) plus the suffix '-ness' (state or quality). Hope itself comes from Old English 'hopa,' of uncertain origin, but has meant a positive expectation for over 1,000 years.

Kelly Says

Hopelessness is actually interesting to psychologists—they've found that feelings of hopelessness are often more damaging to people than actual difficult circumstances, showing how powerful our minds are!

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