A disheartened sinking of spirits.
A disheartened sinking of spirits — low enough to drain courage and the will to keep going.
A loss of hope deep enough to bring on a loss of courage and an inclination to slacken or abandon effort — the despondent person settles into spiritless inaction. Its hallmark is drained motivation and sunken courage, but, unlike despair, not the outright loss of hope. Heavier on discouragement and collapsed drive than plain dejection (downcast spirits); an inner sinking, where gloom is more a surrounding mood.
1650s, from despondence, from Latin despondere “to give up, lose heart, resign,” literally “to promise (to give away),” from de- “away” + spondere “to promise” (source of sponsor). The image is of giving up / resigning.
Stable since the 17th century in the sense “loss of heart / low spirits.” No reliable recent-generation shift is sourced.