desperate
adjective
des·per·ate
ˈde-sp(ə-)rət 
-spərt
1
a
: having lost hope
a desperate spirit crying for relief
b
: giving no ground for hope
the outlook was desperate
2
a
: moved by despair or utter loss of hope
victims made desperate by abuse
b
: involving or employing extreme measures in an attempt to escape defeat or frustration
made a desperate leap for the rope
3
: suffering extreme need or anxiety
desperate for money
desperate to escape
celebrities desperate for attention
4
: involving extreme danger or possible disaster
a desperate situation
5
: of extreme intensity
… a desperate languor descended heavily upon her, and she slept …—
Elinor Wylie
Elinor Wylie6
desperateness
noun
Examples of desperate in a Sentence
The collapse of her business had made her desperate.
As the supply of food ran out, people became desperate.
We could hear their desperate cries for help.
a desperate struggle to defeat the enemy
He made a desperate bid to save his job.
They made one last desperate attempt to fight their way out.
Recent Examples on the Web
That future is now starting earlier than the coach planned at USC, with the Trojans desperate for any spark that might stop their disappointing season from snowballing any further.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
On the floor above a woman sweeps the floor, an act of absurdity that doubles as bravery, the whole scene a desperate attempt at normalcy in a world that has become anything but.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
Kennedy has argued that the 13 separate agencies under the Department of Health and Human Services, including the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institute of Health, are in desperate need of reform.
—Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 4 Nov. 2024
The first pits the Indianapolis Colts against the Minnesota Vikings, two teams in desperate need of a victory, on Sunday Night Football.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for desperate 
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Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
On the floor above a woman sweeps the floor, an act of absurdity that doubles as bravery, the whole scene a desperate attempt at normalcy in a world that has become anything but.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
Kennedy has argued that the 13 separate agencies under the Department of Health and Human Services, including the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institute of Health, are in desperate need of reform.
—Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 4 Nov. 2024
The first pits the Indianapolis Colts against the Minnesota Vikings, two teams in desperate need of a victory, on Sunday Night Football.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for desperate
Articles Related to desperate
Dictionary Entries Near desperate
Cite this Entry
“Desperate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desperate. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
desperate
adjective
des·per·ate
ˈdes-p(ə-)rət
1
: being beyond or almost beyond hope
a desperate illness
2
: reckless because of despair : rash
a desperate attempt
desperately
adverb
desperateness
noun
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