as in extremely
to a great degree
all of a sudden everything went desperately wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 desperately
Boca Raton desperately needs the new downtown government campus known as One Boca.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026
Mayor Barbara Lee says the funding is desperately needed in Oakland.
—Amanda Hari, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
By Gerry Smith and Robert Langreth | Bloomberg Katie Jackson desperately wants a new treatment for Huntington’s disease.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
Not with the 2028 presidential election already looming large for Democratic hopefuls as the party desperately seeks a standard-bearer to compete in a post-Trump political landscape.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for desperately
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026
Mayor Barbara Lee says the funding is desperately needed in Oakland.
—Amanda Hari, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
By Gerry Smith and Robert Langreth | Bloomberg Katie Jackson desperately wants a new treatment for Huntington’s disease.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
Not with the 2028 presidential election already looming large for Democratic hopefuls as the party desperately seeks a standard-bearer to compete in a post-Trump political landscape.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for desperately
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperately
Adverb
-
To gather the critical data, researchers used the James Webb Space Telescope’s unique ability to detect extremely faint objects.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Known for its extremely rough waters and rocky coastline, this remote section of the Namibian coast is not meant for sunbathers or scuba divers.—
Melanie van Zyl,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
In a world gone terribly wrong and sideways, humanity survives.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Mar. 2026
-
If that version of the fable hasn’t aged terribly well, an item in The Wall Street Journal this week elicited a few nervous squeals from some the NFL’s TV partners.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Mohammad and one of his sons, who was a Lebanese soldier, were killed, while the other was badly hurt.—
Justin Salhani,
The Dial,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Getting a stopper was something the team badly needed.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Advertisement The stakes were incredibly high as both parties confronted questions about identity, Trumpism, Texas’ soul, and, yes, electability.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Indeed, the simple enough ad campaign — which sees Kidman saunter in from the rain to walk up and down the aisles of an empty theater, reciting some incredibly memorable dialogue — went out into the world and made its mark.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Physicists hunting for new superconductors often look for a very specific shape hidden in their data—a dome.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Now, both teams head to the Big Ten tournament with opposite momentum and very different stakes, though any number of wins for UCLA can’t hurt its seeding come Selection Sunday.—
Sean Campbell,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Oh no, the masters of the algorithm know us too well.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
This can be a big job; generally, trees more than 8 inches in diameter at the base are too heavy to remove by oneself.—
Daniel Scott,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Everything is so expensive most people cannot afford to stock up.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Maybe the dress on her seems so effortless that people want to invent a way to complicate it.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Kayce is an amazing character, but Luke is really thoughtful and smart.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
-
News reports stating that the Fed raised or lowered interest rates don’t tell us what’s really happening — that the central bank is actually increasing or decreasing the amount of money in circulation.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Desperately.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperately. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
