DESPERATION Synonyms: 77 Similar and Opposite Words

desperation

noun

ˌde-spə-ˈrā-shən

Definition of desperation next

as in despair

utter loss of hope during the famine her desperation drove her to do things she wouldn't have normally considered

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 desperation The trailer sees Bourdain take a job at a restaurant in Provincetown, Massachusetts, out of desperation, shortly after graduating from high school and failing to land a writing fellowship. —

Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 5 May 2026 There’s just a desperation to get back to work and that is very clear from the workers. —

Gene Maddaus, Variety, 4 May 2026 Shifting gears confidently into the second half of the season, this week’s episode has a more cohesive feel than the show has been able to manage so far, turning a series of interrelated crises into a Magnolia-esque montage of desperation from most of the major characters. —

Scott Tobias, Vulture, 3 May 2026 But Nelson and other advocates say companies like these aren’t offering a real solution, but are taking advantage of tenants’ desperation. —

Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 3 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for desperation

Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperation

Noun

The obituaries, social media posts, and GoFundMe pages capture the utter despair of the families, though none of them reckon with the decision not to get the vitamin K shot.

— Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 6 May 2026
The obituaries, social media posts and GoFundMe pages capture the utter despair of the families, though none of them reckon with the decision not to get the vitamin K shot.

— Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 6 May 2026