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
Related Words
See hopeless.
Other Word Forms
- desperately adverb
- desperateness noun
- quasi-desperate adjective
Etymology
Origin of desperate
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin dēspērātus, past participle of dēspērāre “to be without hope, despair”; despair, -ate 1
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.
Seeing virtually no hope of acquittal, Brown’s attorneys were desperate to preserve the possibility of commutation.
From Slate • Apr. 2, 2026
Not only will Howe be desperate to generate some momentum and finish the campaign on a high - the hierarchy, clearly, expect a strong return from the final seven games of the season.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
Before he was the ace for the Seattle Mariners, Logan Gilbert was a burgeoning right-hander in desperate need of a new pitch for his arsenal.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
He said many who work in the industry are growing desperate as they struggle to find work, and some are living in fear of being unable to provide for their children.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026
A panic rises up in me that I fight, desperate to shove back in its box before it ruins my chance with the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
