DESPERATENESS Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

desperateness

noun

Definition of desperateness

as in desperation

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperateness

Noun

And since Bob hasn’t managed to elevate his station in the last 26 years, suffering the indignity of dealing with a much younger boss (Blake Anderson), his desperation is understandable.

— Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
But their primitive way of living reveals itself to rather more devastating effect when their third child is born, and Inger commits an act of unthinkable desperation.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of desperation

Noun

Advanced signs include anxiety, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, extreme thirst paired with panic at the sight of fluids, heavy saliva and aggressive thrashing or biting.

— The Sacramento Bee staff, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2026
An influencer who’d been posing in a sports bra and very short shorts sprinted past us in a panic, trailed by some poor guy juggling way too much camera gear and a frantically barking Chihuahua.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of panic

Noun

The organization said the discoveries had deepened the anguish of families searching for loved ones.

— Mogomotsi Magome, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Their mental anguish, out-of-pocket expenses, the time caregivers devote to their work, the wages lost from forgone work — all create spectacular costs for America’s families.

— Jason Karlawish, STAT, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of anguish

Noun

In February 2025, a group of Yosemite employees hung an American flag upside down – a symbolic distress call – in response to the staffing cuts.

— Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026
However, a Los Angeles judge ruled in April that one intentional infliction of emotional distress claim could proceed, according to court documents previously obtained by PEOPLE.

— Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of distress

Noun

How much does nothing weigh, when the nothing is filled with longing, curiosity, confusion, discomfort, and grief?

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Ireland’s slim but searching play presents an issue of deep discomfort and homes in on the subject of that larger communal response.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of discomfort

Noun

Lawrence has widened his aim to the entire AI industry, calling for a pause on AI development in the wake of fears from some at the companies that the technology could eliminate humanity.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
Feldstein’s arrest was kept under a sweeping gag order, for fear that disclosing it would compromise Israeli intelligence, but the Haaretz reporter Bar Peleg soon learned of it.

— Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of fear

Noun

The cursed island town in Widow’s Bay has summoned all kinds of supernatural entities, much to the dismay of its residents.

— Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026
People in New York City looked up in shock and dismay; people everywhere else watched their favorite anchors on old-fashioned television sets and looked for updates on very rudimentary versions of news websites.

— Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of dismay

Noun

Plus, the recent detention of several Haitian pastors by immigration authorities is fueling even more anxiety among congregants.

— Lauren Costantino September 19, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026
Given the characters’ extreme situation, black humor also feels natural—a way of protecting themselves from anxiety and fear.

— Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of anxiety

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desperately

desperateness

desperation

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“Desperateness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperateness. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of desperateness

noun

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