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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 Underneath the celebrity and the tabloid headlines is someone who’s vulnerable, funny and desperately trying to hold her life together. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026 Featuring so many characters and elements from the games that non-aficionados are left desperately attempting to keep up, Street Fighter tries to thread the needle between fan service and welcoming the uninitiated. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026 Trailing the Brewers 2-0 in the best-of-seven series, the Dodgers desperately need to put themselves in the best possible position to win Game 3 and avoid four straight win-or-go-home contests. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 The Navy desperately needs more subs, and Baltimore stands to gain thousands of jobs, but making the primary customer a 40 percent owner of a new facility risks undermining market discipline. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for desperately

Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperately

Adverb

Some wondered whether Schrödinger’s equation might be an approximation that works extremely well at the microscopic scale but breaks down at the macroscopic scale, which would mean the measurement postulate of the Copenhagen interpretation is right.

— Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
In the meantime, no one should refrain from using sunscreen, which is extremely well-proven to cause cancer.

— Tracy Middleton, Allure, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of extremely

Adverb

While these issues can be addressed, the costs can be incredibly high, and under Florida law, developers are only on the hook for anything identified within the first seven years after a building is handed over to the homeowners association.

— Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
The pre-selection debates about three- or four-loss SEC squads and some team no one actually watches will prove incredibly tiresome, too.

— Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of incredibly

Adverb

And Winnie-the-Pooh continues to sit, in a thoughtful sort of way, which is what very old bears in very nice glass cases mostly do.

— STEVE HENDRIX THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
The Dolphins’ attendance has dropped significantly so far this season, albeit in a very limited sample size.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of very

Adverb

But the clean provenance and their New York highlife has never appeased Pooh partisans who think Fifth Avenue is much too far from the Hundred Acre Wood.

— STEVE HENDRIX THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
The implication was that his predecessor Scott Stuber had overpaid for talent and too-ambitiously committed to a new Netflix movie release every week in 2022.

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of too

Adverb

Is there a future for the kinds of musical deja vu the Avalanches are so adept at evoking?

— Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
The state had planned to phase in its school-funding formula over several years, so the $700 million gap can’t simply be blamed on EdChoice.

— Bilin Lin, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of so

Adverb

And to have this chance to see these birds is really thrilling.

— JOSEPH FREDERICK, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
In Our Opinion goes beyond the headlines to examine what decisions really mean, where policies succeed or fail, and what leaders should do next.

— Washington Examiner, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of really

Browse Nearby Words

desperate

desperately

desperateness

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“Desperately.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperately. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of desperately

adverb

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