desperately

adverb

des·​per·​ate·​ly ˈde-sp(ə-)rət-lē 

-spərt-

1

: in a way that involves despair, extreme measures, or rashness : in a desperate manner

struggling desperately

desperately crying out

2

: extremely, terribly

desperately tired

desperately important

Synonyms of desperately

• extremely
• terribly
• badly
• incredibly
• very
• too
• so
• really
• damn
• damned
• highly
• severely
• seriously
• intensely
• that
• greatly
• far
• especially
• wildly
• fiercely
• heavily
• much

Examples of desperately in a Sentence

all of a sudden everything went desperately wrong

Recent Examples on the Web

Technically very good, but also a little aloof, while getting good results without appearing to try desperately hard to impress you. — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026

One man desperately clung to a light pole in Cambridge City as muddy, brown water swirled around him, before he was eventually rescued. — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

The problem appears especially glaring in thinner fields that could desperately use a boost in the competition — like this year’s limited series crop. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

Rebecca and Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) have enticed Ted back to England from Kansas to coach their new women’s team, a motley group of players desperately in need of Ted’s guidance. — Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

desperate + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1