निराशा (niraashaa)
noun
A single-sense abstract noun meaning 'disappointment' or 'despair' -- the feeling of hope having been dashed. Related to आशा (aashaa, 'hope'), with the negative prefix निर् (nir) attached.
Sense
1
:
disappointment, despair, hopelessness
noun, feminine
Synonyms: मायूसी (maayoosii), हताशा (hataashaa, slightly more literary), विफलता (viphaltaa, failure, narrower scope)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this word constantly around exam results, cricket matches, and elections -- any moment where collective hope was riding high. Its opposite आशा (aashaa, hope) is just as common, and Hindi speakers like to play the two off each other, as in आशा और निराशा (aashaa aur niraashaa, 'hope and despair') describing an emotional rollercoaster.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for उदास (udaas, sad) or दुख (dukh, sorrow) when they mean this specific flavor of disappointment tied to unmet expectations -- निराशा (niraashaa) is the right word when hope existed first and then failed, not just general sadness. 2) The common verb pairing is निराशा होना (niraashaa honaa, 'to feel disappointment') with a को-marked experiencer, e.g. मुझे निराशा हुई (mujhe niraashaa huii, 'I felt disappointed') -- learners sometimes try to make निराशा (niraashaa) itself the subject of a verb like लगना (lagnaa), which sounds off.
Sample Sentences:
परीक्षा का परिणाम देखकर उसे बहुत निराशा हुई।
Seeing the exam result, he felt great disappointment.
(pariikshaa kaa parinaam dekhkar use bahut niraashaa huii।)
टीम की हार से पूरे देश में निराशा छा गई।
The team's loss cast disappointment over the whole country.
(tiim kii haar se poore desh men niraashaa chhaa gaii।)
चुनाव नतीजे आने के बाद कार्यकर्ताओं के चेहरे पर निराशा साफ झलक रही थी।
After the election results came in, disappointment was clearly showing on the workers' faces.
(chunaav natiije aane ke baad kaarykartaaon ke chehre par niraashaa saaph jhalak rahii thii।)
बार-बार असफल होने पर भी उसे निराशा नहीं होती।
Even after failing again and again, he never feels disappointment.
(baar-baar asphal hone par bhii use niraashaa nahiin hotii।)
अगर वह मेहनत करता तो शायद इतनी निराशा हाथ न लगती।
If he had worked hard, perhaps he wouldn't have ended up with so much disappointment.
(agar vah mehnat kartaa to shaayad itnii niraashaa haath n lagtii।)
कृपया निराशा मत पालिए, अभी और मौके आएँगे।
Please don't harbor disappointment, there will be more chances ahead.
(kripyaa niraashaa mat paalie, abhii aur mauke aaenge।)
उसकी जिंदगी आशा और निराशा के बीच झूलती रहती है।
His life keeps swinging between hope and despair.
(uskii jindgii aashaa aur niraashaa ke biich jhooltii rahtii hai।)
मुझे डर है कि यह खबर सुनकर उन्हें निराशा हो सकती है।
I'm afraid that hearing this news might cause them disappointment.
(mujhe dar hai ki yah khabar sunkar unhen niraashaa ho saktii hai।)
इंटरव्यू में रिजेक्ट होने के बाद उसे गहरी निराशा घेर लेगी।
After being rejected in the interview, deep disappointment will overwhelm him.
(intravyoo men rijekt hone ke baad use gahrii niraashaa gher legii।)
मंच से घोषणा होते ही समर्थकों में निराशा फैल गई।
As soon as the announcement was made from the stage, disappointment spread among the supporters.
(manch se ghoshnaa hote hii samarthkon men niraashaa phail gaii।)
उम्मीद टूटने से जो निराशा पैदा होती है, वह बहुत गहरी होती है।
The disappointment born of shattered hope runs very deep.
(ummiid tootne se jo niraashaa paidaa hotii hai, vah bahut gahrii hotii hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
निराशा
(niraashaa)
(sg.f.oblique):
निराशा
(niraashaa)
(pl.f.direct):
निराशाएँ
(niraashaaen)
(pl.f.oblique):
निराशाओं
(niraashaaon)