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

despairingly, despatch, despeciation, despenser, desperado, desperate, desperately, desperation, despicable, despise, despite

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.

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ANTONYMS FOR desperate

1 careful.

3, 8 hopeful.

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Related forms

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

Can be confused

desperate 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 Forms

desperately, 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