← Back to Fala2Me

breed hopelessness

[/briːd ˈhoʊpləsnəs/]
verb phrase
gerar desespero / criar desesperança
1. to produce or cause a feeling of hopelessness; to create conditions that lead to despair or loss of hope
Constant rejection and failure can breed hopelessness in vulnerable individuals.
A rejeição constante e o fracasso podem gerar desespero em indivíduos vulneráveis.
2. to foster or cultivate a state of despair through repeated negative experiences
Years of poverty and inequality breed hopelessness in communities.
Anos de pobreza e desigualdade criam desesperança nas comunidades.
Synonyms
generate despairfoster pessimismcreate despondencycultivate desperationengender hopelessness
Antonyms
inspire hopebreed optimismfoster confidencecreate encouragementinstill determination

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
gerar desespero / criar desesperança
most common usage in contemporary Brazilian Portuguese
Rio de Janeiro
criar desânimo / gerar desespero
slightly more colloquial variant
São Paulo
gerar desesperança / fomentar desespero
more formal usage in business/academic contexts
Portugal
gerar desesperança / criar desalento
Portuguese variant with 'desalento' being more common in European Portuguese

Related Idioms & Phrases

breed contempt
breed resentment
lose all hope
fall into despair
give up hope
the straw that broke the camel's back
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →