desperately

adverb

des·​per·​ate·​ly ˈde-sp(ə-)rət-lē How to pronounce desperately (audio)
-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

Examples of desperately in a Sentence

all of a sudden everything went desperately wrong
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
One place the Padres desperately need to upgrade is the outfield, but there aren't very many quality outfielders expected to be on the market. Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025 More legislation is desperately needed, but the laws never seem to catch up with the pace of the technological advances. Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025 The company is on a mission to give back power to home healthcare visits to restore trust in an industry that desperately needs it. William Jones, USA Today, 30 June 2025 New York desperately needs its own T.J. McConnell: a guard who can generate offense for himself and teammates, and keep the wheels turning when Brunson rests. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 30 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for desperately

Word History

Etymology

desperate + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of desperately was circa 1547

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Desperately.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desperately. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on desperately

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!