as in despair
utter loss of hope
during the famine her desperation drove her to do things she wouldn't have normally considered
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Recent Examples of desperation
Abbott skillfully mines the characters’ shallowness while also showing their humanity, the depth of their desperation and how that can lead to bad decisions, and the sisters’ sincere love for each other.
—
Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 25 June 2025
The move by Rhule, in his second season, hinted at desperation.
—Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 20 June 2025
The latest scenes of death, violence and desperation underline a grim existence for over 2.1 million people living in Gaza – which the United Nations has warned is edging closer to famine.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 18 June 2025
Adding to her desperation is that a Cuban doctor told her that due to the stress caused by their separation, her eldest now has a heart condition.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for desperation
Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 25 June 2025
The move by Rhule, in his second season, hinted at desperation.
—Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 20 June 2025
The latest scenes of death, violence and desperation underline a grim existence for over 2.1 million people living in Gaza – which the United Nations has warned is edging closer to famine.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 18 June 2025
Adding to her desperation is that a Cuban doctor told her that due to the stress caused by their separation, her eldest now has a heart condition.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for desperation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperation
despair
Noun
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So many of the adults who held our communities together have been lost to mass incarceration, to addictions—diseases of despair—as drugs have replaced jobs and hope in our neighborhoods, often turning them into war zones.—
Asha Bandele,
Essence,
25 June 2025
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The best dystopian films are the most plausible ones, and Children Of Men feels all too real, from the political factions to the way humanity both descends into despair and miraculously comes together to help those who need it most.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desperation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperation. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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