desperation

noun

des·​per·​a·​tion ˌde-spə-ˈrā-shən 

1

: loss of hope and surrender to despair

2

: a state of hopelessness leading to rashness

Synonyms

• despair
• sadness
• hopelessness

Examples of desperation in a Sentence

She felt overcome by desperation.

the desperation of severe poverty

They hired me out of desperation, because they couldn't get anyone else.

Finally, in desperation, he tried to flee the country.

Recent Examples on the Web

Cementing these fine details complicated a negotiation that arose out of desperation. —Alec Lewis, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025

Tipping the scales back and forth, Russell blurs the line between fan and celebrity entirely, upping the mutual desperation to an unpredictable boiling point. —Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025

Hailing from Scream scribe and Dawson's Creek creator Kevin Williamson, the crime drama followed the exploits of a prominent North Carolina family whose desperation to save their fishing empire leads them into increasingly dangerous waters. —Shania Russell, EW.com, 26 Aug. 2025

Many observers have interpreted Hamas’s immediate endorsement as a sign of weakness, if not desperation. —Leila Seurat, Foreign Affairs, 26 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English disperacioun, desperacioun, borrowed from Anglo-French desperaciun, borrowed from Latin dēspērātiōn-, dēspērātiō, from dēspērāre "to give up as hopeless, despair of" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at despair entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for desperation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

desperation

noun

des·​per·​a·​tion ˌdes-pə-ˈrā-shən 

1

: a loss of hope and surrender to misery or dread

2

: a state of hopelessness leading to extreme recklessness