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

Mansur, who desperately longs to be reunited with his own mother, is appalled. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026

Looking ahead to the 2028 Democratic Presidential primary, the group is desperately hoping to avoid a repeat of the race to the left of 2020. — Jason Zengerle, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2026

After weeks of living on adrenaline, my body is desperately asking for rest. — Chadner Navarro, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026

That broke Bayern apart, with Dayot Upamecano desperately stepping forward to engage Doue, leaving a massive gap in behind for Kvaratskhelia to exploit. — Art De Roché, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

desperate + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1