Synonyms

desperate

American

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

adjective

reckless or dangerous because of despair, hopelessness, or urgency.

a desperate killer.

Synonyms:

frantic, rash

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.

Synonyms:

desolate, forlorn

Antonyms:

hopeful

noun

Obsolete. a desperado.

desperate British

/ 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 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

"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

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.

Arteta's Arsenal will be desperate to shed their tag as the side that has come up short in recent years.

From BBC

I know that sounds like a desperate postmodern gambit, but it pays hilarious and chilling dividends by turning episodes previously recounted only in disputed legal proceedings into confrontational Brechtian theater.

From Salon

With Cuba in desperate need of fuel, maritime trackers reported this week that two tankers carrying Russian oil and diesel appeared to be on their way to the island, but their status remains unclear.

From Barron's

He said it was not a "desperate dash over land" and was instead a sophisticated land-sea operation.

From BBC

He was desperate to hire and asked if she would apply.

From The Wall Street Journal

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