1.
sense of despair; feeling of hopelessness
The subjective feeling or emotional experience of despair. Adds the nuance of a felt sensation to the concept of despair (絶望), emphasizing the emotional weight.
深い絶望感に襲われた。
I was overcome by a deep sense of despair.
何をしても無駄だという絶望感が広がった。
A feeling of hopelessness spread — a sense that nothing would work.
試合終了間際に逆転されて、絶望感に包まれた。
The opposing team scored a comeback just before the end of the game, and we were enveloped in despair.
USAGE:
A compound of 絶望 (despair) + 感 (feeling, sense). The suffix 感 turns the abstract concept of despair into a word for the subjective emotional experience. This pattern is productive in Japanese: 孤独感 (sense of loneliness), 達成感 (sense of achievement), etc.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 絶望感に襲われる (to be seized by despair)
- 絶望感に包まれる (to be enveloped in despair)
- 深い絶望感 (deep sense of despair)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 絶望: despair — the state or concept itself, without the emphasis on felt sensation
- 失望感: sense of disappointment — less intense than 絶望感