wanhoop
despair, desperation
Advanced Noun common
🔊
Pronunciation
/ˈʋɑn.ɦoːp/
💡
Cultural Note
Wanhoop literally means 'mad-hope' or 'false hope' (wan = mad/false + hoop = hope). The compound structure is a beautiful example of how Dutch builds complex emotion words. The adjective 'wanhopig' (desperate) and verb 'wanhopen' (to despair) are both commonly used.
📝 Example Sentences
In haar wanhoop wist ze niet meer wat te doen.
In her despair she no longer knew what to do.
Wanhoop dreef hem tot het uiterste.
Despair drove him to extremes.
Achter de glimlach ging wanhoop schuil.
Behind the smile, despair was hiding.