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
There are tears, anger, desperation.
—
Jessica Tzikas,
Sun Sentinel,
18 June 2026
Maddie attempts to maintain a good-girl façade veiling dangerous inner turmoil, while picture-perfect recipe videos mask an unsettling desperation for fame.
—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 June 2026
Lately, he’s been chronicling the island’s deepening energy crisis and the desperation that crisis is producing.
—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
17 June 2026
Vegas pulled Carter Hart with about three minutes to go, officially entering desperation mode, but nothing worked, and Nikolaj Ehlers scored an empty-netter to start the party.
—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for desperation
Jessica Tzikas,
Sun Sentinel,
18 June 2026
Maddie attempts to maintain a good-girl façade veiling dangerous inner turmoil, while picture-perfect recipe videos mask an unsettling desperation for fame.
—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 June 2026
Lately, he’s been chronicling the island’s deepening energy crisis and the desperation that crisis is producing.
—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
17 June 2026
Vegas pulled Carter Hart with about three minutes to go, officially entering desperation mode, but nothing worked, and Nikolaj Ehlers scored an empty-netter to start the party.
—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for desperation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperation
Noun
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Rather than wallow in the despair of his wife's death, Robin decided to start Kay Days, a non-profit that pays for patients' parking on select days and during the week of his beloved wife's birthday.
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That poor driver had to listen to me sniffle in shameful despair all the way back to the city.
Noun
-
Fear, joy, surprise, sadness, excitement.
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Exceeding expectations As a trip set mainly in concentration camps, sadness is often the top expectation.
Noun
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There were scandals and heartbreak and dysfunction and, worst of all, a hopelessness.
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That essay, written in 1940 — the same year Native Son was published — is suffused with profound hopelessness for what was indeed to come.
Cite this Entry
“Desperation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperation. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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