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

But across this wolf may cry, her breathy delivery becomes so uniform that longing, frustration, and romantic desperation frequently sound indistinguishable.

— Precious Fondren, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2026
Our community is dying; there’s an underlying sense of desperation, grief and pride that can both protect and suffocate out of a need to survive – this film is ultimately a love letter to us, with a sense of knowing.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of desperation

Noun

In the 1980s Americans became gripped with satanic panic, the fear that Satan worshippers were committing heinous crimes against children.

— Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
Thankfully, these moments of panic are now relatively short-lived.

— Cellene Hoogenkamp, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of panic

Noun

Better Over Time should give him an opportunity to expunge his anguish and, if not necessarily heal, then find clarity on why his preternatural talent has brought a mixture of blessings and frustration.

— Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026
His role as a theater director in ‘The Debut,’ isn’t the showstopping kind, but it is made memorable for the actor’s moments of tenacity, anguish and vulnerability.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of anguish

Noun

The rise of self-harm influencers—people for whom demonstrating their distress online has become a source of income and validation—is a terrifying new development.

— Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 24 Oct. 2026
CoreWeave, the leader of the pack, has seen spreads on its CDS widen past 11%, generally viewed as a distress level, as investors have to pay up for protection against default.

— Isabel O'Brien, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of distress

Noun

Acupressure is a Traditional Chinese Medicine technique that uses finger pressure on points along the body’s energy channels to ease tension, anxiety and physical discomfort.

— Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 3 Nov. 2026
This information then results in some discomfort on both our parts, and the potential for a lot more explanation about my life than an acquaintance needs.

— Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of discomfort

Noun

Fortune recently reported on wealthy parents’ growing fear that their fortunes will sap their children’s drive.

— Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Coupled with job-displacement fears from AI, opponents now point to the facilities as a physical symbol of who benefits from the boom and who gets stuck with the bill.

— Luke Fountain, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of fear

Noun

His latest assignment is to cheer up young siblings Gabby (Xochitl Gomez, The Baby-Sitters Club) and Sebastian (Tiago Martinez), whose single mother (an underused America Ferrera) has just moved the family to a new town, much to their dismay.

— Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2026
Fans, including many who had traveled out of state for the event, took to the comments to share their dismay over the announcement.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of dismay

Noun

Research has also found that across generational groups, greater user tendency to engage in social comparison, together with greater maladaptive ways of coping with emotions, is associated with more symptoms of anger, anxiety, and depression.

— Ashwini Nadkarni, Time, 24 Oct. 2026
The market for profiting off male body anxiety is nothing new.

— Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 24 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 7 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of desperateness

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

abandon

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes