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
After some pressure, McAvoy picked off a desperation clear in the neutral zone and gave it back to Pastrnak at the blue line.
—
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
This novel of obsession, with the AIDS epidemic in the background, but where AIDS is never mentioned, a passionate book about people and the city in all its innocence and desperation.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Lauren says the idea came from sheer desperation.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Add in coach Steve Kerr willingly working on a lame-duck contract, and the Warriors could be looking for a new path forward within the year of saying hello to Butler, meaning that smell around Chase Center is one of desperation.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desperation
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
This novel of obsession, with the AIDS epidemic in the background, but where AIDS is never mentioned, a passionate book about people and the city in all its innocence and desperation.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Lauren says the idea came from sheer desperation.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Add in coach Steve Kerr willingly working on a lame-duck contract, and the Warriors could be looking for a new path forward within the year of saying hello to Butler, meaning that smell around Chase Center is one of desperation.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desperation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperation
Noun
-
Postpartum depression can cause a range of symptoms, including intense feelings of sadness, anxiety, or despair that keeps new moms from being able to go about their daily life, per the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Business leaders should take note that anxiety without agency deepens despair.—
Melissa Jun Rowley,
Rolling Stone,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Common signs include persistent sadness, low energy, poor concentration, loss of interest in activities, changes in appetite or weight, and feelings of guilt or worthlessness.—
Brandon Peters,
Verywell Health,
29 Oct. 2025
-
My impression of her first version of that song was also sadness being depicted as sadness.—
Billboard Japan,
Billboard,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The 1986 film also included accounts by former conscripts who had been forced to participate in the Russian occupation of Afghanistan, making clear the hopelessness and brutality of the war, starkly contrasting with the Kremlin’s version of a war of progress and purpose.—
Will Tizard,
Variety,
2 Nov. 2025
-
In a world fraught with real-life villains, political upheaval and a collective sense of hopelessness, fantasy steps in to inspire people to carry on, and that rings especially true for LGBTQ+ teens.—
Brittany Johnson,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desperation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperation. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share