Antonyms of adj despondent

1 sense of despondent

Sense 1
despondent, heartsick -- (without or almost without hope; "despondent about his failure"; "too heartsick to fight back")

INDIRECT (VIA hopeless) -> hopeful -- (having or manifesting hope; "a line of people hopeful of obtaining tickets"; "found a hopeful way of attacking the problem")

Similarity of adj despondent

1 sense of despondent

Sense 1
despondent, heartsick -- (without or almost without hope; "despondent about his failure"; "too heartsick to fight back")
       => hopeless (vs. hopeful) -- (without hope because there seems to be no possibility of comfort or success; "in an agony of hopeless grief"; "with a hopeless sigh he sat down")