desperado

noun

Definition of desperadonext
as in bandit
old-fashioned a violent criminal who is not afraid of getting hurt or caught A documentary about some notorious desperados of the Wild West.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of desperado Liu returned to skating in late 2024 after two and a half years, with the clearheaded intention to be a performance artist, not a medal-seeking desperado. — Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026 These are desperadoes in the White House. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 26 Nov. 2025 And sometimes the best care is not bringing in a bunch of — as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar put it — a throbbing scum of fame-hungry desperados. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2025 The latter implies that occasionally a few or many desperados enter the Treasury markets, selling everything in sight with an eye on bringing discipline or whatever to Washington. — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for desperado
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperado
  1. bandit
  2. offender
  3. villain
  4. monster
  5. beast
  6. outlaw
Noun
  • Between Two Fires is a zippy historical monster story, where a bandit ex-knight and a young girl beset by visions have to contend with plague and inhuman monsters.
    — James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Snoopy and Woodstock line the outside of the bowl in costumes like cowboys, mummies, bandits, and witches.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of bandit
Noun
  • The Oak Lawn and Alsip village boards voted to regulate the use of security foggers in businesses as a method to deter offenders.
    — Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Too often, special occasions can feel like an excuse to buy a new outfit; weddings are the worst offenders.
    — Corinne Pierre-Louis, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of offender
Noun
  • Tell me more about William, the actual villain, and what his character represents.
    — Selome Hailu, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Despite Nas emerging as one of the season’s primary antagonists, Kelly doesn’t necessarily view him as a straightforward villain.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of villain
Noun
  • The main three projects — The Mummy, The Loudest Voice and Unabomber — each involve monsters in various forms.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The world has seen many hurricanes rapidly intensify in recent years, strengthening from relatively weak storms into destructive monsters in a matter of hours.
    — Chanh Kieu, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of monster
Noun
  • Still, these are highly watchable actors, and as a movie to have on in the background while making dinner, Animals — so named for the lawless beast inside all of us, not that there’s much traction in that theme — will play just fine on Netflix.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Dangerous donkeys On one side is the public safety crowd, who insist the 500-pound beasts are a menace to the free flow of commerce.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of beast
Noun
  • Taking inspiration from their cousins—who had been members of the more famous Jesse and Frank James outlaw gang—the Dalton gang decided to rob two banks at once.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Simpson has carved out an incredibly loyal following in the country music industry by singing largely outlaw country tunes.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of outlaw

Browse Nearby Words

despairs
desperado
desperadoes
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Cite this Entry

“Desperado.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperado. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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