as in hopeless
feeling or showing no hope
desperate cancer patients who are vulnerable to the claims of unscrupulous quacks
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Recent Examples of desperate
The exchange forced him into a desperate, and ultimately futile, series of mea culpas, including a personal address to the entire contestant pool.
—
Paula Soria, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Cuomo’s desperate campaign — almost certainly his last — tried to knit together a coalition of Republicans, independents, and Democrats worried that a socialist mayor would wreck their city and their party.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Some detail Lucy’s desperate search for a new refrigerator for her mother-in-law during the height of the war, while others show the pangs of jealousy that come with a new relationship.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
In a way, Mamdani may emerge as a helpful tutor for Democrats desperate to stop posting Ls.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desperate
Paula Soria, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Cuomo’s desperate campaign — almost certainly his last — tried to knit together a coalition of Republicans, independents, and Democrats worried that a socialist mayor would wreck their city and their party.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Some detail Lucy’s desperate search for a new refrigerator for her mother-in-law during the height of the war, while others show the pangs of jealousy that come with a new relationship.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
In a way, Mamdani may emerge as a helpful tutor for Democrats desperate to stop posting Ls.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desperate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperate
Adjective
-
Things take a turn for the whimsical when, with the help of some lightning — and later, Taffy’s tanning bed — Lisa finds a companion in an undead, Victorian-era Cole Sprouse, a hopeless romantic who communicates exclusively in grunts, and whose devotion to Lisa knows no bounds.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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The Jets are hopeless, with head coach Aaron Glenn pushing back on reporters weekly and owner Woody Johnson tossing his $40 million quarterback, Justin Fields, under the bus after another rough outing.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Pauline Collins, the exuberant British actress who inspired women — and men, too — to do something to change their unhappy lives with her Oscar-nominated and Olivier- and Tony-winning performances in Shirley Valentine, has died.—
Lisa de los Reyes,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
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That distaste didn’t hurt Spanberger and her ticket, because 18% of those unhappy voters backed her anyway.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Everyone's a little sad in The Holdovers, Alexander Payne's charmingly sour comedy about a student stuck at his New England boarding school over the holidays with only his grouchy professor (Paul Giamatti) and the school cook (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) for company.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The 25-year-old wide receiver is sad to see his teammates go, but trusts the vision of the New York front office.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Arsenal go into the break disappointed, but not disheartened.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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However, all three playoff games in the series were won by the road team, including Friday night’s decisive match before a sorely disappointed crowd of 34,473 that filled the lower bowl at Bank of America Stadium.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Exhausted and despairing, many Palestinians had their own reasons for refusing to pack up and uproot themselves again.—
WAFAA SHURAFA,
Arkansas Online,
7 Sep. 2025
-
People are despairing over the Supreme Court and its deference to the president.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
The crimes with which she has been charged are trumped up and her arrest is a cynical ploy by the junta headed by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing to cling onto power.—
Kim Aris,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
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Is Alec’s folksiness sincere or cynical?—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Finally, there’s a shot of Major Gonzalez looking despondent in Alaska.—
Griff Griffin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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With a muted atmosphere at the Olympic Stadium amidst despondent home support, West Ham’s opportunity was a potential mood-changer whose energy dissipated in the rattling of the woodwork.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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As the title suggests, the book details Turner's tale of a heartbroken widower who became an unlikely senior-citizen TV star on the first season of the reality show, which ended with an engagement to Nist.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Nov. 2025
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Thomas told the outlet that her brother’s diagnosis left their family heartbroken.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desperate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperate. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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