desperately

American

[des-per-it-lee, -prit-] / ˈdɛs pər ɪt li, -prɪt- /

adverb

in a reckless or dangerous way because of hopelessness or urgency.

In the movie, he’s the object of an intense police manhunt and scrambles desperately around Belfast trying to escape.
in a way that shows urgent need or desire.

He is highly motivated to put his all into everything he does, trying desperately to prove himself.
to a very serious or dangerous degree that leaves little hope.

People without medical insurance may often suffer without care until they are desperately ill.
extremely or excessively.

My weekend will be desperately dull, as I've been on vacation all week and have to catch up with work.

Other Word Forms

quasi-desperately adverb

Etymology

Origin of desperately

desperate ( def. ) + -ly

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.

I think that comes slightly from having a comedy background because we’re always doing accents and wearing silly hats and trying desperately to have people laugh.

From Los Angeles Times

Venezuela fought desperately to stop his extradition to the U.S., indicating the value of what he knows.

From The Wall Street Journal

The film's final sequence sees Bob desperately searching for his daughter as she tries to outrun Lockjaw in the desert.

From Barron's

“By locking arms with the state, LA County is transforming these vacant buildings into a mental healthcare village where people can get the safe, professional, and compassionate treatment and housing they desperately need.”

From Los Angeles Times

The rest of the tournament was eventually cancelled, along with a second tournament at the same venue next week, leading to worried players desperately asking for support and scrambling for flights.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023