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Definition, Scrabble score, anagrams & word-game reference
Yes. DESPAIR is a valid Scrabble word in the UnscrambleTools dictionary (7 letters, 10 base points). It is suitable for casual Scrabble, Words with Friends practice, and anagram study; official tournament lists (NASPA/WESPA) may differ slightly.
Part of speech: noun
abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart; "Don't despair--help is on the way!"
desperation
Source: Princeton WordNet 3.1
DESPAIR scores 10 points before board multipliers.
Letter counts: A×1, D×1, E×1, I×1, P×1, R×1, S×1
DESPAIR is a 7-letter answer slot candidate. Filter by length 7, starts with D, ends with R, or contains letters from your crossing entries in the Crossword Solver and Pattern Finder.
Example: "DESPAIR — abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart; "Don't despair--help is on the way!"" (10 Scrabble points).
DESPAIR is listed in the UnscrambleTools word-game dictionary used across our unscrambler, anagram, pattern, and scoring tools. Pages like this one exist so you can answer "Is DESPAIR a Scrabble word?" with data — not guesswork — before you play a tile or fill a crossword slot.
DESPAIR (noun): the feeling that everything is wrong and nothing will turn out well; "they moaned in despair and dismay"; "one harsh word would send her into the depths of despair". Additional senses: a state in which all hope is lost or absent; "in the depths of despair"; "they were rescued from despair at the last minute"; "courage born of desperation"; abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart; "Don't despair--help is on the way!".
In standard Scrabble scoring, DESPAIR totals 10 points before multipliers. That sum uses official letter values: common tiles (A, E, I, O, U, L, N, S, T, R) are worth 1, while D and G are 2, B, C, M, P are 3, F, H, V, W, Y are 4, K is 5, J and X are 8, and Q and Z are 10. DESPAIR relies mostly on common tiles, which often makes it easier to play from a mixed rack but caps the raw ceiling compared with high-premium words.
DESPAIR is 7 letters long, begins with D, ends with R, and sorts to the alphagram ADEIPRS. There are 6 anagrams in this dictionary sharing that exact letter bag. Letter makeup: 3 vowels, 4 consonants.
Among 23 tracked 7-letter entries, DESPAIR ranks by raw score (10 points). Anagram alternatives include ASPIRED, DIAPERS, DIASPER, PARDESI — useful when you need the same tiles with a different hook letter. Similar-length words in the same dictionary include PIZZAZZ, ZYZZYVA, JAZZBOW, JAZZILY; open their word pages to compare endings, vowel weight, and crossover potential.
Strategically, DESPAIR carries 3 vowels and 4 consonants. Its consonant-heavy shape pairs well with open vowel dumps on the board. Hooks on D or R are common study angles; browse words starting with D and words ending with R to rehearse parallel sets.
DESPAIR is a 7-letter answer slot candidate. Filter by length 7, starts with D, ends with R, or contains letters from your crossing entries in the Crossword Solver and Pattern Finder. For American-style grids, 7-letter entries like DESPAIR frequently cross shorter words; knowing that DESPAIR contains A, D, E, I, P, R, S helps you test crossing letters quickly. When you only know a few cells, open the Crossword Solver with a pattern such as d?????r to narrow candidates before checking definitions.
Notable letter pairs inside DESPAIR include DE, PA, SP — each links to a "contains" list for deeper drilling. Unique letters used: D, E, S, P, A, I, R. Letter-frequency tables on this site are built from the same dictionary that powers the Word Unscrambler, so list pages and word pages stay consistent.
Use UnscrambleTools tools together: unscramble despair directly in the Word Unscrambler, rehearse rearrangements in the Anagram Solver, filter crossword slots in the Pattern Finder, and verify 10 points in the Scrabble Score Calculator. Daily puzzle hints and Wordle practice pages share the same dictionary backbone, which keeps scores and validity aligned across the site.
Etymology: UnscrambleTools does not publish a full historical etymology for every rare word-game entry. When we detect recognizable English prefixes or suffixes, we note them in the definition section; otherwise treat DESPAIR as a playable vocabulary item for puzzles and study.
Example usage: Example: "DESPAIR — abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart; "Don't despair--help is on the way!"" (10 Scrabble points). If you are validating a tournament list, cross-check NASPA or WESPA references — our dictionary optimizes for practical word-game coverage, including obscure but legal entries that appear in casual Scrabble and crossword construction.