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

But that does not take away from how desperately Palace need additions to the squad and how helpful his arrival will prove. —Mark Carey, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026

Although a ceasefire has been reached, humanitarian aid is still desperately needed. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 2 Jan. 2026

Ten percent of the unity and wisdom so desperately needed — Ukrainian, American, European, from the entire world. —Alexander Smith, NBC news, 1 Jan. 2026

With a 14-0 lead, the Rams were trying desperately to get some points on the board before halftime, and Stafford decided to heave a ball to Xavier Smith down the field in the second quarter. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

desperate + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1