DESPERATION Synonyms: 77 Similar and Opposite Words

desperation

noun

ˌde-spə-ˈrā-shən

Definition of desperation

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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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 There’s this desperation—the idea that nothing can be like that anymore. — Shaad D’souza, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026 Her confessions look like maternal desperation rather than the truth. — Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Oct. 2026 What readers are saying The comments express strong criticism of Senate Republicans' last-minute legislative efforts before the midterm elections, suggesting these actions are driven by desperation rather than genuine concern for the public. — Theodoric Meyer, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2026 Baker Mayfield hurt his thumb on a desperation pass late in the fourth quarter. — CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for desperation

Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperation

Noun

The tone creeps into despair as the scales fall from Sutskever’s eyes.

— E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
The cumulative effect of the bowl’s ambient violence (robbery, assault, and overdose abound) amounts to an open-air despair not unlike Fox News-style depictions of California as a wholesale war zone.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of despair

Noun

Beat shows how so many of the sounds that were prevalent in the mid-’90s contained a unique, end-of-the century sadness.

— Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
People can experience grief, sadness, relief, conflict or combinations of these emotions after any pregnancy outcome.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of sadness

Noun

According to 2025 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a third of youth have persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness — about 10% more than a decade earlier.

— Darius Tahir, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Corruption across the political divide Much of this year’s fatigue traces back to a sense of hopelessness over systemic corruption, which ranks among voters’ biggest concerns, yet neither camp can claim the issue as its own, say experts.

— Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of hopelessness

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desperateness

desperation

despicable

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“Desperation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperation. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of desperation

noun

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