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

Their financial outlook was desperate.

2

a

: moved by despair or utter loss of hope

victims made desperate by lack of any sign of rescue

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 prove she was innocent

celebrities desperate for attention

4

: involving extreme danger or possible disaster

a desperate situation

5

: of extreme intensity

a desperate shortage of supplies

6

: shocking, outrageous

desperateness noun

Synonyms of desperate

• 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

Ivy is just desperate enough to take an offer from Evan White, a wealthy widower, who hires her to care for his children on their isolated estate. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026

The left anticipated the spending onslaught and is framing the outside money as a desperate play to stop a populist candidate — which isn’t wrong. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 15 July 2026

Her decades-long dedication and her infectious passion had earned her rock-star status in butterfly circles, and many people came to her desperate to know the reasons for the collapse. — Literary Hub, 15 July 2026

The votes were based on an implicit, perhaps even desperate, hope that streamlining administration might raise the state’s mediocre levels of academic achievement. — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 14 July 2026

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