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desperate
[ des-per-it, -prit ]
/ ˈdɛs pər ɪt, -prɪt /
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adjective
noun
Obsolete. a desperado.
OTHER WORDS FOR desperate
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Origin of desperate
synonym study for desperate
3. See hopeless.
OTHER WORDS FROM desperate
des·per·ate·ly, adverbdes·per·ate·ness, nounqua·si-des·per·ate, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH desperate
desperate , disparateWords nearby desperate
despair, despairing, despatch, Despenser, desperado, desperate, desperately, desperation, despicable, despise, despite
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use desperate in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for desperate
desperate
/ (ˈdɛspərɪt, -prɪt) /
adjective
careless of danger, as from despair; utterly reckless
(of an act) reckless; risky
used or undertaken in desperation or as a last resortdesperate measures
critical; very gravein desperate need
(often postpositive and foll by for) in distress and having a great need or desire
moved by or showing despair or hopelessness; despairing
Derived forms of desperate
desperately, adverbdesperateness, nounWord Origin for desperate
C15: from Latin dēspērāre to have no hope; see despair
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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