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 had desperately wanted a place outside the city because I had been working for years at this point inside of a studio with no windows,” she said.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

“Ready or Not 2” and “They Will Kill You” supply their characters with almost inhuman agency and dexterity because they reflect a moment when the viewer desperately wishes they could have those things, too.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

But housing is desperately needed, she said, because people keep leaving Yountville for cheaper places.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

"Because of my postcode I can't have the treatment on the NHS that I desperately need and that's just immoral," she says.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Jack desperately wanted to stop her, considering how well this act had played out before, but he couldn’t think of anything to do that wouldn’t make things worse.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

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