I.hopelessness, despair: “desperatio est aegritudo sine ulla rerum exspectatione meliorum,” Cic. Tusc. 4, 8, 18.
I. Prop. (good prose and very freq.).
(α).
With gen.: “omnium rerum amissio et desperatio recuperandi,” Cic. Fam. 4, 3, 2: “omnium rerum,” id. Cat. 2, 11 fin. (opp. bona spes); Liv. 21, 1; Suet. Ner. 2 et saep.: “victoriae,” Cic. Phil. 8, 5: “magna pacis,” Caes. B. C. 1, 11, 3: “omnium salutis,” id. ib. 1, 5, 3; Liv. 3, 2 et saep.—
(β).
Absol.: “magna desperatione affectus,” Cic. Att. 14, 19: “ad summam desperationem pervenire,” Caes. B. C. 2, 42, 2: “ad desperationem adducti,” Nep. Eum. 12; cf.: “ad desperationem redactus,” Suet. Aug. 81: “in desperatione esse,” Front. Strat. 3, 17, 7: “ad desperationem formidine properare,” Tac. H. 2, 46 et saep.: “a desperatione iram accendit,” Liv. 31, 17; cf. Tac. H. 2, 44 fin.—In plur.: “desperationes eorum, qui, etc.,” Cic. Fam. 2, 16, 6.—
II. Meton., desperate boldness, foolhardiness: “desperatio truculentae feminae, Ap. M. 10, p. 251: periculosa,” Vulg. 2 Reg. 2, 26; id. Sirach, 27, 24.
