DESPERATENESS Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

desperateness

noun

Definition of desperateness

as in desperation

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperateness

Noun

Both teams now limp into Saturday's game in Austin with bruised bodies and egos, and carrying a whiff of desperation for a win to keep the season from unraveling.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Brown and her relatives say the fallen officer tragedy has reignited their trauma and desperation for justice.

— Liz Crawford, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of desperation

Noun

Set to a downtempo bachata, the track features Lorén’s penetrating vocals filled with anguish at the impossible cycle of working endlessly to make ends meet.

— Vanessa Diaz, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026
Abrams does yeoman’s work with a character stuck in a tight spot for most of the running time, constantly grunting and gasping with a mixture of anguish and exhaustion as his body gets progressively more beat up and broken.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of anguish

Noun

And when his biceps injury flared again, and the discomfort extended up through his neck, the Dodgers put off an IL move as long as possible.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
The show doesn’t spare her discomfort, but what surprised her most was how gentle cooking for chefs turned out to be.

— Elissa Suh, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of discomfort

Noun

The White House decision has heightened fears that Ukraine could be left exposed to Moscow's escalating attacks as winter approaches.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
That a self-image forged in the crucible of the fear of being ugly makes women amputate their talents?

— Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of fear

Noun

To his dismay, many of the exultant people in cowboy hats, burnt orange T-shirts and other spirit gear appeared to be of South Asian heritage.

— Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Holmes denies having said it, and the remark isn’t on the couple’s own recordings of the interviews in question, but, to their dismay, the article’s editor, after reviewing the journalist’s notes, stands by the reporting.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of dismay

Noun

When the line between general unease with not knowing crosses into anxiety that interferes with daily life, people should seek professional help, said Dugas.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Given Abbey’s anxieties about spending money and fear of not having enough, Stacy plans to use very conservative assumptions for inflation, health costs and average returns when making her projections based on Abbey’s savings today.

— Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of anxiety

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.

Browse Nearby Words

desperately

desperateness

desperation

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Desperateness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperateness. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of desperateness

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes