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

By that point, with the Wild desperately needing a goal from somebody with their season on the line, coach John Hynes had loaded up the top line with Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek and Boldy. —Michael Russo, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026

While California desperately needs comprehensive tax relief, the qualification of the Local Taxpayer Protection Act to Save Proposition 13 for the November ballot is an important first step in reclaiming California for the state’s beleaguered taxpayers. —Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 26 Apr. 2026

The team desperately needed more depth on the edge. —Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 25 Apr. 2026

Two Rockets ran into each other while desperately trying to defend the shot. —Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

desperate + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1