desperate

[ des-per-it, -prit ]

/ ˈdɛs pər ɪt, -prɪt /

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adjective

reckless or dangerous because of despair, hopelessness, or urgency: a desperate killer.

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.

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.

noun

Obsolete. a desperado.

Nearby words

Origin of desperate

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin dēspērātus, past participle of dēspērāre to despair; see -ate¹

SYNONYMS FOR desperate

1. rash, frantic. 3. grave. 8. forlorn, desolate.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR desperate ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR desperate

1. careful. 3, 8. hopeful.

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Related formsdes·per·ate·ly, adverbdes·per·ate·ness, nounqua·si-des·per·ate, adjectivequa·si-des·per·ate·ly, adverb

Can be confuseddesperate disparate

Synonym study

3. See hopeless.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for desperate

We might have thought The Comeback was about a desperate actress's shameless struggle for fame.
‘The Comeback’ Finale: Give Lisa Kudrow All of the Awards|Kevin Fallon|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Brinsley got out of jail last July, and was desperate and aimless.
Alleged Cop Killer Ismaaiyl Brinsley Had a Death Wish|M.L. Nestel|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After what seemed a desperate eternity, a doctor shook his head.
'Please Don't Die!': The Frantic Battle to Save Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sam watches her fall apart, tear herself apart and is desperate.
Grief: The Real Monster in The Babadook|Tim Teeman|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

He and Jessen convinced a stunned and desperate CIA that they were the ones to run a new interrogation program.
The Luxury Homes That Torture and Your Tax Dollars Built|Michael Daly|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All his desperate sorrow of the morning and the horror of his dream were gone.
Lady Into Fox|David Garnett
Men evidently met here, possibly after some desperate adventure against society.
The Million Dollar Mystery|Harold MacGrath
He was too desperate to curse his fate—he could only long for food.
The Ape, the Idiot & Other People|W. C. Morrow
Our military leaders recognised, far sooner than the rest of us, that this war was going to be a grim and desperate business.
A Padre in France|George A. Birmingham
Eagle-head saw that, unless he made a desperate effort, he would be lost, and he attempted it.
The Tiger-Slayer|Gustave Aimard

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 Formsdesperately, adverbdesperateness, noun

Word 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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for desperate

desperate

adj.

early 15c., "despairing, hopeless," from Latin desperatus "given up, despaired of," past participle of desperare (see despair (v.)). Sense of "driven to recklessness" is from late 15c.; weakened sense of "having a great desire for" is from 1950s. Related: Desperately.