Meaning
to despair, to lose hope
In a sentence
Non disperare, troviamo una soluzione insieme.
Don't despair, we'll find a solution together.
Hai già disperato di finire il progetto oggi?
Have you already given up hope of finishing the project today?
I medici disperano di riuscire a salvarlo.
The doctors despair of being able to save him.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| disperare | infinitive |
| disperiamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| dispero | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| disperate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| disperi | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| disperano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| dispera | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| disperavamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| disperavo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| disperavate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| disperavi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| disperavano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| disperava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| disperammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| disperai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| disperaste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| disperasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| disperarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| disperò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| dispereremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| dispererò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| dispererete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| dispererai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| dispereranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| dispererà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| disperiamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| disperi | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| disperiate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| disperi | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| disperino | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| disperi | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| disperassimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| disperassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| disperaste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| disperassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| disperassero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| disperasse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| dispereremmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| dispererei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| disperereste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| dispereresti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| dispererebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| dispererebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| disperiamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| disperate | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| dispera | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| disperando | gerund |
| disperato | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Usually intransitive with avere: ho disperato, abbiamo disperato. Do not use essere.
- Often followed by di + infinitive or che + subjunctive: dispero di riuscire; disperava che tornasse.
- Stronger and more literary than perdere la speranza; in everyday speech, Italians often prefer non sperare più or perdere le speranze.