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 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 The other actors in the terrific eight-member cast — which includes Eddie Cooper, Dashiell Eaves and Ken Marks — play multiple roles as townsfolk, family members, lawmen, desperados, hucksters and suckers. — Frank Rizzo, Variety, 27 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for desperado
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperado
  1. bandit
  2. villain
  3. offender
  4. monster
  5. beast
  6. outlaw
Noun
  • The film reimagines the legend of Chang’Er, the moon goddess, and her husband, the archer Hou Yi, picking up the story after Chang’Er ascends to the moon and setting her on a journey to its dark side alongside a bandit from Earth.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In Kogi State, bandits recently raided an orphanage and took twenty-three children hostage.
    — Alexis Okeowo, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of bandit
Noun
  • In July, Roku made the city even more interactive with a new brand campaign that guides users to visit six themed areas featuring humorous promo spots, including a pirate ship, a volcano and a villain’s evil lair.
    — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Still, bonus points for casting Chukwudi Iwuji as the menacing High Evolutionary, one of the oddest and most unsettling Marvel villains in recent memory.
    — EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of villain
Noun
  • This high-security prison is a sprawling complex that houses thousands of detainees, including notorious gangsters, terrorists and prominent white-collar offenders.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • But court documents filed by Bussett in December allege that both victims and their families were told by the district attorney’s office that Butler would plead guilty and serve time at a juvenile facility in exchange for a youthful offender status.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of offender
Noun
  • At the same time, Bernadette makes her potion and turns into a 60-foot monster, destroying Pasadena.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Major oil and gas companies around the world posted monster second-quarter profits last week amid the Iran conflict's surge in crude prices.
    — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of monster
Noun
  • The family hides from the beast, which looks like a mix between a Cthulhu, an octopus and a big, beefy guy.
    — William Earl, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The result is a car that tames the Bolide beast with a more refined aesthetic throughout, yet without lacking any of its sibling’s muscle—sharing the Bolide’s 1,578 hp, quad-turbo W16 power plant.
    — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of beast
Noun
  • The outlaw country legend issued a rallying cry across his social media channels on Tuesday, sharing a statement that condemns rapidly escalating data center construction across the United States.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 29 July 2026
  • About 25 miles north on I-35 from downtown Kansas City sits Kearney, Missouri, hometown to that famous outlaw Jesse James.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 21 July 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 10 Aug. 2026.

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