DESPERATELY Synonyms: 138 Similar and Opposite Words

desperately

adverb

ˈde-sp(ə-)rət-lē

Definition of desperately

as in extremely

to a great degree all of a sudden everything went desperately wrong

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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 desperately Giffords, then 40, desperately wanted to become a mother and was undergoing fertility treatments at Bethesda Naval Hospital. — Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026 Maiklem observed that most nineteenth-century mudlarks, searching desperately for goods from the river, were women and children. — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 17 July 2026 But divine power is a dangerous weapon, especially in a town desperately in need of a savior. — Marta Balaga, Variety, 17 July 2026 Her unexplainable absences leads to a lack of hope, wisdom, and encouragement Odysseus desperately needs in peril. — Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for desperately

Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperately

Adverb

Analyzing top player movement Changing schools is extremely common, with more than 17,000 athletes in Texas filling out a prior athletic participation form (PAPF) this past year, according to UIL executive director Jamie Harrison.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 July 2026
Here’s an outpost of a chain with some extremely personal, local touches.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026

Definition of extremely

Adverb

Given that humans at OpenAI had decided to turn off some safeguards for the test, some have argued the outcome should not have been terribly surprising.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
In a world that had long equated labor with the physical act of making things, such a shift was seen as not terribly manly, and potentially dangerous to society as a whole.

— Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026

Definition of terribly

Adverb

When planning rules protect views rather than families, something has gone badly wrong.

— Belonging Forum, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Mohammad Taj, who travelled to Delhi from neighboring Haryana state, and whose face was badly bruised in the Monday crackdown, said the march heading to parliament had been peaceful.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 22 July 2026

Definition of badly

Adverb

This in addition to an incredibly massive health data and tracking software and app market, which has grown significantly since the early days of the smartphone.

— Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
That’s only a 30% drop from its first weekend, an incredibly modest slide for a blockbuster.

— Lindsey Bahr, Fortune, 27 July 2026

Definition of incredibly

Adverb

That gets into the very annoying realization that some infinities are bigger than other infinities, which is mathematically true and conceptually uncomfortable.

— Michael Schneider, Variety, 24 July 2026
Kim was very briefly a Big Ten starting quarterback — for five games at Michigan State in 2023.

— Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Definition of very

Adverb

Did anyone else think Andriy and Bobby’s explanation of what happened in the workroom felt patchy too?

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 July 2026
The leggings were still wet, heavily soiled, and badly deteriorated, LaHendro testified, making the edge detail too unreliable for comparison.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2026

Definition of too

Adverb

Energy is a key input into many goods and services given its broad use across the economy and so higher prices may fuel inflation.

— Simon Moore, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
Under Georgia law, a judge can decide whether a defendant serves that sentence in prison or on probation, so Colin Gray could be released Thursday.

— Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 30 July 2026

Definition of so

Adverb

But the one person who really set the whole endeavour in motion was Lenain’s beloved uncle Farid, a gay and HIV-positive man who passed away in 2013.

— Michael-Oliver Harding, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
If diversification were really the primary reason to own private equity, more capital would already be there for that reason alone.

— Carrie McCabe, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

Definition of really

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desperate

desperately

desperateness

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“Desperately.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperately. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of desperately

adverb

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