Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective desperate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of desperate are despairing, despondent, and hopeless. While all these words mean "having lost all or nearly all hope," desperate implies despair that prompts reckless action or violence in the face of defeat or frustration.

one last desperate attempt to turn the tide of battle

Where would despairing be a reasonable alternative to desperate?

While the synonyms despairing and desperate are close in meaning, despairing suggests the slipping away of all hope and often despondency.

despairing appeals for the return of the kidnapped child

When might despondent be a better fit than desperate?

The words despondent and desperate can be used in similar contexts, but despondent implies a deep dejection arising from a conviction of the uselessness of further effort.

despondent about yet another rejection

In what contexts can hopeless take the place of desperate?

The meanings of hopeless and desperate largely overlap; however, hopeless suggests despair and the cessation of effort or resistance and often implies acceptance or resignation.

the situation of the trapped miners is hopeless

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of desperate To quickly recap: The Flyers brought Fedotov over from the KHL about one year ago and promptly stuck him in the net, desperate to give Samuel Ersson some time off as the team was in the midst of choking away its playoff position. Kevin Kurz, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025 The New England Patriots are in desperate need of playmakers after focusing mainly on defensive help in free agency. Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025 The Wild will take Friday off and host the desperate St. Louis Blues, who still have playoff hopes, Saturday night. Michael Russo, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025 Those changes — a desperate need for privacy, security, and to placate the masses — put With Love, Meghan between a rock and a hard place. Alanna Bennett, refinery29.com, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for desperate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperate
Adjective
  • Democracy in the United States faces a serious threat, but the case is not hopeless.
    Laura Gamboa, Foreign Affairs, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Despite running on dirt-minded tires that are hopeless on snow and ice, these ultra-luxe restomods had no problem roaring through the powder covering the ground.
    Tim Stevens, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Despite that success, Willard was unhappy with the program’s financial commitments.
    Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2025
  • The extra time will presumably be used to fix whatever about the season executives are unhappy with.
    Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Kwong grew up hearing stories of every kind about Manzanar—scary, sad, funny and infuriating.
    Rachel Ng, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Yet, whatever the deal means for Paul, Weiss, its acquiescence to Trump marks a sad day for the legal profession—or what once was a profession, and is now just another business.
    Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Many of them might have left somewhat disappointed.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 27 Mar. 2025
  • But fans were likely disappointed to discover that Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool, Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, Chris Pratt’s Star Lord, Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel and Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye are joining them on the bench.
    Jordan Moreau, Variety, 26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Reduced to occasionally doing commercials for used cars, and spending most of his days drinking, despairing, and sporadically playing Russian roulette in a retirement home for actors, the curmudgeonly Montana has a death wish that only sheer luck has kept him from fulfilling.
    Joe Leydon, Variety, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Western allies of the United States gathered in Munich this past week, anxious, adrift and despairing in the face of President Trump’s brute display of muscle-flexing on the global stage.
    Mark Landler, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Val did something special with a typical 1980s cynical rebel/wisecracker role, giving his character a layer of big brother warmth.
    KiMi Robinson, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2025
  • On the movie front, Viola Davis is an endangered POTUS in G20, Tom Hardy plays a cynical detective in Havoc, and documentary subjects include the Stranger Things stage production, the Milwaukee Brewers’ 1982 season and the Disney cult classic A Goofy Movie.
    Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • But where this Star truly shined (that was too easy) was in giving a despondent Cedrek a pep talk after his disastrous challenge performance.
    Dalton Ross, EW.com, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Her despondent facial reaction even became a meme online.
    Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • In the original visual, the Grammy winner plays a heartbroken character named Peaches who has all traces of her ex wiped from her hippocampus, an homage to Michel Gondry’s 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Seven Oaks parents ‘heartbroken’ Five Seven Oaks parents reached out to the Statesman to express disappointment with the removal of the bulletin board.
    Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 25 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Desperate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperate. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.

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