desperately

adverb

ˈde-sp(ə-)rət-lē How to pronounce desperately (audio)
Definition of desperatelynext
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 This piled more weight on Britain’s creaking postwar finances, and Eden’s government desperately needed emergency assistance from the International Monetary Fund to stabilize its currency. — David Averre, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2026 The protagonist, Michael, whose Chinese identity has been eroded by successive generations, is desperately curious about Kun’s dad. — Marta Balaga, Variety, 5 Nov. 2026 Rock fans desperately want a big rock band to root for, and My Chemical Romance fits the bill. — Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2026 De Miguel lay motionless as players from both teams desperately signaled for medical assistance. — Reuters, NBC news, 3 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for desperately
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperately
  1. extremely
  2. terribly
  3. badly
  4. incredibly
  5. very
  6. too
  7. so
  8. really
Adverb
  • How Cube Steak Is Used and Cooked Cube steak is extremely versatile.
    — Natalia Vela, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2026
  • California has gotten extremely soft on accountability with youth.
    — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of extremely
Adverb
  • Even if those numbers aren’t precisely right, the idea that Kucherov asked to be traded suggests the two sides are not terribly close.
    — John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Nov. 2026
  • But then this is not exactly a grittily realistic flashback, or one terribly concerned with details of historical timeline.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of terribly
Adverb
  • Then poachers kill his partner and child, leaving Norden badly wounded.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Now evicted from her West Wing corner office, with the president’s agenda in tatters, Wiles has learned that fealty to Trump almost always ends badly.
    — Chris Whipple, Vanity Fair, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of badly
Adverb
  • Fortunately for the script, other British and Hessian reënactors had arrived via freeway and the incredibly vast Orchard Beach parking lot.
    — Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Humanity is both incredibly advanced and evolved and deeply stunted.
    — Fiona Sinclair Scott, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of incredibly
Adverb
  • In the mid-1970s, the building housing the Westin opened as the very first Holiday Inn resort in the Caribbean, with Buoy Haus’s beachfront location opening as a low-rise motor inn shortly after.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Nov. 2026
  • After multiple attempts to press forward, the message of the direction of the school was received very clearly.
    — Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of very
Adverb
  • Mercury retrograde in Scorpio leaves room for private reflection, too.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The Hope spent much of its time ferrying sailors and the wounded from other ships or ports to military hospitals, and like the Comfort, it too was attacked multiple times, though each attack failed, usually just missing the ship.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of too
Adverb
  • Its sweet, soft, umami-rich profile can shift the taste of a recipe, so Czerwony suggests using about half the usual amount of garlic and adjusting from there.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026
  • But when the lines between sincerity and cynicism are so blurred, does intention even matter?
    — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of so
Adverb
  • TikTok really gave users a way to share their enthusiasm for these books and find a community of like-minded readers.
    — Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
  • One response that really struck us came from an eighth-grade girl.
    — Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of really

Browse Nearby Words

desperate
desperately
desperateness
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Cite this Entry

“Desperately.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperately. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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