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

6

: shocking, outrageous

desperateness noun

Synonyms

• hopeless
• unhappy
• sad
• disappointed
• despairing
• cynical
• despondent
• heartbroken
• bleak
• depressed

Choose the Right Synonym for desperate

despondent, despairing, desperate, hopeless mean having lost all or nearly all hope.

despondent implies a deep dejection arising from a conviction of the uselessness of further effort.

despondent about yet another rejection

despairing suggests the slipping away of all hope and often despondency.

despairing appeals for the return of the kidnapped child

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

hopeless suggests despair and the cessation of effort or resistance and often implies acceptance or resignation.

the situation of the trapped miners is hopeless

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

Siff realized there was a market of willing workers desperate to find jobs without a tool to help them. —Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025

Stack’s Lilly particularly stands out as a young girl still terrorized by the traumatic loss of her father, but desperate to save her friends from experiencing similar kinds of anguish. —Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025

The desperate confrontation between Satoru Gojo’s two beloved students comes to the big screen with an early preview. —Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025

Two fishermen in Washington State who were desperate to show off their catches online ended up livestreaming their way into a ticket Friday. —Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 22 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English desperat, borrowed from Latin dēspērātus, past participle of dēspērāre "to give up as hopeless, despair of" — more at despair entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids 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