हताश (hataash)

adjective One core sense: an adjective describing someone who has become discouraged or given up hope, from mild frustration to deep despair depending on context.
Sense 1 : discouraged, despairing, having lost hope
adjective
Synonyms: निराश (niraash), हतोत्साहित (hatotsaahit, somewhat formal), उदास (udaas, leans more toward 'sad/gloomy' than 'given up')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear हताश (hataash) a lot in contexts of exams, job searches, or long struggles -- a student who has failed several times might be described as हताश हो गया है (hataash ho gayaa hai, 'has become despondent'). It carries a sense of exhaustion after trying, which distinguishes it from words for simple sadness.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for उदास (udaas) when they mean हताश (hataash) -- उदास (udaas) is general sadness or gloominess, while हताश (hataash) specifically implies having lost hope or given up after repeated effort or failure. 2) हताश (hataash) is almost always used with होना (honaa) (हताश होना, hataash honaa, 'to become discouraged') rather than as a verb of its own -- there is no verb form to conjugate directly.
Sample Sentences:
बार-बार असफल होने के बाद वह हताश हो गया है। After failing again and again, he has become disheartened.
(baar-baar asphal hone ke baad vah hataash ho gayaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
नौकरी न मिलने से वह बहुत हताश थी। She was very despondent because she couldn't get a job.
(naukrii n milne se vah bahut hataash thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
हताश मत हो, अभी बहुत मौके बाकी हैं। Don't lose hope, there are still many chances left.
(hataash mat ho, abhii bahut mauke baakii hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर वह मेहनत करता तो इतना हताश न होता। If he had worked hard, he wouldn't have become so despairing.
(agar vah mehnat kartaa to itnaa hataash n hotaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
परीक्षा परिणाम देखकर छात्र हताश हो जाते हैं। Seeing the exam results, students become disheartened.
(pariikshaa parinaam dekhkar chhaatr hataash ho jaate hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इतने सालों की कोशिश के बाद भी सफलता न मिलने से वह गहरी निराशा में डूबा और पूरी तरह हताश हो गया। After so many years of trying, still not finding success, he sank into deep despair and became completely hopeless.
(itne saalon kii koshish ke baad bhii saphaltaa n milne se vah gahrii niraashaa men doobaa aur poorii tarah hataash ho gayaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
शायद वह हताश हो गया हो, इसलिए फोन नहीं उठा रहा। Maybe he has become despondent, that's why he isn't picking up the phone.
(shaayad vah hataash ho gayaa ho, islie phon nahiin uthaa rahaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
कृपया हताश न हों, हम आपकी मदद करेंगे। Please don't be discouraged, we will help you.
(kripyaa hataash n hon, ham aapkii madad karenge।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
जब भी मैं हताश महसूस करता हूँ, अपने माता-पिता से बात करता हूँ। Whenever I feel hopeless, I talk to my parents.
(jab bhii main hataash mahsoos kartaa hoon, apne maataa-pitaa se baat kartaa hoon।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसकी हताश आँखों को देखकर मुझे भी दुख हुआ। Seeing his despairing eyes, I felt sad too.
(uskii hataash aankhon ko dekhkar mujhe bhii dukh huaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बेरोज़गारी की वजह से लाखों युवा हताश हो चुके हैं। Because of unemployment, millions of young people have already become despondent.
(berozgaarii kii vajah se laakhon yuvaa hataash ho chuke hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant: हताश (hataash)