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 Cohen insists the joke was always on Ali G, not the Black culture the character was so desperately trying to emulate. — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 27 Oct. 2026 The Democrats desperately need to chart a new course for their party. — Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2026 Home for Good is an investment in our communities that desperately need it. — Lake County News-Sun, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026 Kurt's key takeaways What struck me most about my conversation with George is how much money is being made from messages that so many of us desperately want to stop. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 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
  • The North Carolina state legislator Jennifer Balkcom wasn’t terribly well-known before this election cycle.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2026
  • By focusing on the brain’s extraordinary—and still under-recognized—capacity for repair, Swain doesn’t encourage us to marvel at the many ways in which things can go terribly wrong.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of terribly
Adverb
  • Ask whether the time changed, the location changed, or someone simply explained it badly.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The Heat were badly outclassed by Luka Doncic and the Lakers.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 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
  • The brothers returned to Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center on Tuesday, a little more than a year since their last concert there and on a very big election night for the country.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 4 Nov. 2026
  • On November 2, robot dogs – and other kinds of machines built for locomotion of some kind – took part in the very first World Robot Mount Taishan Climbing Competition in Tai'an, in China's Shandong province.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of very
Adverb
  • Republicans not only lost the House, but watched as their hope of keeping a Senate majority slipped away, too — a blue tsunami that was quickly interpreted as a rebuke of the president and his agenda.
    — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026
  • As California’s Latino population grew and their political power eventually did too, the days when such a victory would have been an inspiring surprise are long gone.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 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
  • And yet 59% of the Hornets’ shots came from three-point range — this is a team that really never stops shooting them, for better or for worse.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Loves, cities, and musical genres may change, but that girl who felt left out has never really stopped writing.
    — Ilaria Perrotta, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of really

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desperately
desperateness
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Cite this Entry

“Desperately.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperately. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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