desesperar

The Spanish verb "desesperar" can be understood as follows:

Meaning:

1. To despair / to be desperate / to lose hope or patience:

   • It describes the state of feeling extremely worried, anxious, or hopeless, often to the point of losing patience or calm.
   • Example: Me hace desesperar su manera de actuar. ("His/her way of acting makes me despair.")

2. To exasperate / to annoy greatly:

   • When used transitively (with a direct object), it means causing someone else to feel frustration, impatience, or despair.
   • Example: La espera larga me desespera. ("The long wait exasperates me.")

Parts:

• The verb is formed by the prefix "des-" (which can indicate reversal, removal, or negation) and the root "esperar" which means "to hope" or "to wait."
• So, literally "desesperar" means "to lose hope" or "to cause to lose hope."

Synonyms:

• For "to despair": desanimar, frustrar, angustiar
• For "to exasperate" or "to annoy": fastidiar, irritar, molestar, enfadar

Antonyms:

• For "to despair": esperar (to hope), confiar (to trust)
• For "to exasperate": calmar (to calm), tranquilizar (to soothe)

---

Summary:

• Desesperar is a verb meaning either "to lose hope/get desperate" or "to cause someone else to become desperate or exasperated." It is related to "esperar", meaning "to hope" or "wait," with the prefix des- indicating a removal or negation.