When a look, a voice, or a person is despairing, you can see that hope has almost run out. A despairing sigh is not “a bit sad.” It says, “I do not think this will come right.” Writers love it for faces and cries: a despairing look out the window, a despairing cry for help.

When a look, a voice, or a person is despairing當一個眼神、一個聲音，或一個人是despairing的， you can see that hope has almost run out你可以看出希望幾乎已經耗盡了。 A despairing sigh is not "a bit sad."一聲despairing的嘆息不是「有點難過」而已， It says, "I do not think this will come right."它說的是：「我不覺得這件事會有轉機了。」 Writers love it for faces and cries作家很喜歡用它來形容表情和呼喊： a despairing look out the window, a despairing cry for help望向窗外的despairing眼神、despairing的求救聲。

It also works as the going-on form of the verb despair: she was despairing of ever finding work.

It also works as the going-on form of the verb despair它也可以當動詞despair的進行式， she was despairing of ever finding work例如she was despairing of ever finding work（她漸漸絕望，覺得自己再也找不到工作了）。

Though actually, students — and even some fluent speakers — mix this with desperate. Desperate often still has fight in it: you will try anything, even something wild, because you are in a corner. Despairing is quieter and heavier: you have more or less given up.

Though actually不過其實， students — and even some fluent speakers — mix this with desperate學生，甚至一些說得很流利的人，都會把它跟desperate搞混。 Desperate often still has fight in itdesperate裡頭通常還帶著一股拚勁： you will try anything, even something wild, because you are in a corner因為被逼到絕境，你什麼都願意試，就算是很瘋狂的辦法。 Despairing is quieter and heavierdespairing則比較安靜也比較沉重： you have more or less given up你差不多已經放棄了。

You can be desperate and still knocking on doors. A despairing person has mostly stopped knocking.

You can be desperate and still knocking on doors你可以是desperate的，卻還在到處敲門求助。 A despairing person has mostly stopped knocking一個despairing的人則幾乎已經不敲門了。

It is a sad word, not an angry one, and it is more at home in stories and careful talk than in a quick text.

It is a sad word, not an angry one這是一個悲傷的詞，不是憤怒的詞， and it is more at home in stories and careful talk than in a quick text比較適合出現在故事和講究的談話裡，而不是隨手的簡訊裡。