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

The Andromedans have been desperately working to try to find a way to save humanity from itself, according to Michelle. —Megan McCluskey, Time, 31 Oct. 2025

Collins has been one of the more stout edge defenders in his five years in the league, and the Cowboys could desperately use a savvy veteran run defender to contain the edge. —Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Oct. 2025

Meanwhile, other pharma companies are desperately trying to claw back market share of obesity drugs, which is expected to reach $150 billion by 2030. —Matty Merritt, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025

Nikola is trying desperately to hold onto his family farm after his family leaves him to find steadier employment in Germany, and the stork becomes his companion. —Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

desperate + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1