desperate
Americanadjective
-
reckless or dangerous because of despair, hopelessness, or urgency.
a desperate killer.
- Antonyms:
- careful
-
having an urgent need, desire, etc..
desperate for attention;
desperate to find a job.
-
leaving little or no hope; very serious or dangerous.
a desperate illness.
- Synonyms:
- grave
- Antonyms:
- hopeful
-
extremely bad; intolerable or shocking.
clothes in desperate taste.
-
extreme or excessive.
-
making a final, ultimate effort; giving all.
a desperate attempt to save a life.
-
actuated by a feeling of hopelessness.
-
having no hope; giving in to despair.
- Antonyms:
- hopeful
noun
adjective
-
careless of danger, as from despair; utterly reckless
-
(of an act) reckless; risky
-
used or undertaken in desperation or as a last resort
desperate measures
-
critical; very grave
in desperate need
-
in distress and having a great need or desire
-
moved by or showing despair or hopelessness; despairing
Synonym Usage
See hopeless.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of desperate
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin dēspērātus, past participle of dēspērāre “to be without hope, despair”; see despair, -ate 1
Explanation
Desperate means "having lost all hope." If you are desperate for food, it means you are starving, possibly about to die. If you are in a desperate situation, it means things are really, really bad. Desperate, desparate, or despirate? The word desperate is misspelled often enough that it's the despair of English teachers. Both desperate and despair come from the same Latin verb as despair. Don't mix it up with disparate, a totally different word that means "distinctive, different, various."
Vocabulary lists containing desperate
List 8
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"Sorry, Wrong Number," Vocabulary from the play
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Commonly Misspelled Words, List 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In his first managerial role at Porto, Mourinho was desperate to prove himself at the highest level and show his worth.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Behind Paramount’s pivot is a desperate scramble to bolster its legal case and muster funds to help finance a deal Warner shareholders approved in April.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
When some sellers get desperate and cut prices to sell quickly, that brings down the value of other properties in the area or neighborhood.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
Bustamante said the man was in an uncomfortable position, desperate to get out amid the heat and dust.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
I thrashed my limbs in desperate abandon as it streamed into my nose and mouth, stifling me, seeping into my very pores, weighing me down.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
