| singular | plural |
| Infinitive | | |
| despair | |
| present simple | | |
| 1 | I despair | we despair |
| 2 | you despair | you despair |
| 3 | he/she/it despairs | they despair |
| past simple | | |
| 1 | I despaired | we despaired |
| 2 | you despaired | you despaired |
| 3 | he/she/it despaired | they despaired |
| future simple | | |
| 1 | I will/shall despair | we will/shall despair |
| 2 | you will/shall despair | you will/shall despair |
| 3 | he/she/it will/shall despair | they will/shall despair |
| conditional simple | | |
| 1 | I would despair | we would despair |
| 2 | you would despair | you would despair |
| 3 | he/she/it would despair | they would despair |
| present continuous | | |
| 1 | I am despairing | we are despairing |
| 2 | you are despairing | you are despairing |
| 3 | he/she/it is despairing | they are despairing |
| past continuous | | |
| 1 | I was despairing | we were despairing |
| 2 | you were despairing | you were despairing |
| 3 | he/she/it was despairing | they were despairing |
| future continuous | | |
| 1 | I will be despairing | we will be despairing |
| 2 | you will be despairing | you will be despairing |
| 3 | he/she/it will be despairing | they will be despairing |
| conditional continuous | | |
| 1 | I would be despairing | we would be despairing |
| 2 | you would be despairing | you would be despairing |
| 3 | he/she/it would be despairing | they would be despairing |
| present perfect | | |
| 1 | I have despaired | we have despaired |
| 2 | you have despaired | you have despaired |
| 3 | he/she/it has despaired | they have despaired |
| past perfect | | |
| 1 | I had despaired | we had despaired |
| 2 | you had despaired | you had despaired |
| 3 | he/she/it had despaired | they had despaired |
| future perfect | | |
| 1 | I will have despaired | we will have despaired |
| 2 | you will have despaired | you will have despaired |
| 3 | he/she/it will have despaired | they will have despaired |
| conditional perfect | | |
| 1 | I would have despaired | we would have despaired |
| 2 | you would have despaired | you would have despaired |
| 3 | he/she/it would have despaired | they would have despaired |
