DEFINITIONS

desperate

[ des-per-it, -prit ]
/ ˈdɛs pər ɪt, -prɪt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR desperate ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

noun

Obsolete. a desperado.

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Words related to desperate

daring, dangerous, bold, violent, determined, frantic, furious, frenzied, great, urgent, terrible, fierce, critical, dire, forlorn, vain, futile, despondent, sad, madcap

Words nearby desperate

despairing, despatch, despeciation, despenser, desperado, desperate, desperation, despicable, despise, despite, despiteful

Origin of desperate

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

OTHER WORDS FROM desperate

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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH desperate

desperate disparate

synonym study for desperate

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

Examples from the Web for desperate

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, 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