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

Hours after Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was shot to death inside his bedroom in the hills above Port-au-Prince, one of the Haitian Americans involved in the plot to oust him from power was desperate. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026

With only a few hours to raise the ransom, they’re pushed to desperate measures. — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026

Adam, simple and trusting, is an easy mark for a desperate woman looking for a life raft. — Alison Herman, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026

Set in California’s Salinas Valley, the series follows two families—the Trasks and the Hamiltons—who can’t seem to stop their paths from crossing in increasingly dark and desperate ways. — Emma Specter, Vogue, 1 Oct. 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