desperation
noun
des·per·a·tion
ˌde-spə-ˈrā-shən 
1
: loss of hope and surrender to despair
2
: a state of hopelessness leading to rashness
Synonyms
Examples of desperation in a Sentence
She felt overcome by desperation.
the desperation of severe poverty
They hired me out of desperation, because they couldn't get anyone else.
Finally, in desperation, he tried to flee the country.
Recent Examples on the Web
San Diego could target him out of desperation after losing Ha-Seong Kim in free agency.
—
Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
And then there were the signings who, without wishing to be cruel, strayed dangerously close to being acts of desperation.
—Daniel Taylor, The Athletic, 6 Feb. 2025
Yet, especially for women in these positions, the lines between deception, desperation, and delusion, which coexist in different ratios for each subject, are thin.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 6 Feb. 2025
Who’s to say that a serious-minded semi-Marxist critique of economic desperation and the rise of fascism in the Star Wars universe is somehow harder than transplanting the 1980s Amblin sensibility to the same universe?
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for desperation 
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Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
And then there were the signings who, without wishing to be cruel, strayed dangerously close to being acts of desperation.
—Daniel Taylor, The Athletic, 6 Feb. 2025
Yet, especially for women in these positions, the lines between deception, desperation, and delusion, which coexist in different ratios for each subject, are thin.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 6 Feb. 2025
Who’s to say that a serious-minded semi-Marxist critique of economic desperation and the rise of fascism in the Star Wars universe is somehow harder than transplanting the 1980s Amblin sensibility to the same universe?
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for desperation
Dictionary Entries Near desperation
Cite this Entry
“Desperation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desperation. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
desperation
noun
des·per·a·tion
ˌdes-pə-ˈrā-shən
1
: a loss of hope and surrender to misery or dread
2
: a state of hopelessness leading to extreme recklessness
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