Nihoner
絶望的
zetsubouteki
also spelled zetsuboteki
desperate, hopeless
All Senses
  1. zetsubouteki desperate, hopeless
How it's used

Use for situations that seem beyond saving, stronger than 悲観的; common in news and serious conversation.

そのニュースは絶望的な気分にさせた。
Sono nyūsu wa zetsubōteki na kibun ni saseta.
That news made me feel hopeless.

絶望的な状況でも彼は諦めなかった。
Zetsubōteki na jōkyō demo kare wa akiramenakatta.
Even in a desperate situation, he didn't give up.

⚖️ Often confused with 悲観的, which means pessimistic (an outlook), while 絶望的 implies a situation is actually hopeless.

Nihoner AI Pronunciation Engine v3.2 · ja-JP

Press the microphone and say: 絶望的

Ready to listen

Kanji Breakdown
絶
Discontinue, Sever, Cut Off, Abstain, Interrupt, Suppress, Be Beyond, Without Match, Peerless, Unparalleled
On: ぜつ Kun: た.える,た.やす,た.つ
12 strokes N3
望
Ambition, Full Moon, Hope, Desire, Aspire To, Expect
On: ぼう,もう Kun: のぞ.む,もち
11 strokes N3
的
Bull's Eye, Mark, Target, Object, Adjective Ending
On: てき Kun: まと
8 strokes
How to Use This Word
Noun (名詞)
Pattern
絶望的は〜です。 / 〜の絶望的

💡 Use は or が to mark this word as the topic or subject of a sentence.

Example
この絶望的はとても大切です。
📚

Found in a wide range of contexts. Useful for building reading and listening fluency.

Quick Quiz
📓
My Word Journal

Save personal notes for every word you study — memory hooks, your own sentences, grammar tips, and personal stories.

💡 Memory Hook ✏️ My Sentences 📖 Grammar Notes 📌 Personal Story

Synced to your account · Anki export · Accessible on every device

Create Free Account
Review Premium options
Lexicon Level
Lv 1
Total XP
0
Kanji Novice
— XP to next rank
⚠️
Your XP won't be saved!

Create a free account to sync your level, streaks, and progress across all devices.

🎯 Create Free Account Review Premium options

Already a member? Sign in →

🔥
0 days
Daily Streak
Your History With This Word

Sign in or create a free account to keep your history.

Mastery Tracker

Review scheduling updates after each session.

Difficulty
🔴 Hard

Based on JLPT level, kanji complexity & word length.

Recently Viewed