desperately

[ des-per-it-lee, -prit- ]

/ ˈdɛs pər ɪt li, -prɪt- /

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See synonyms for desperately on Thesaurus.com

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.

QUIZ

ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ

There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!

Question 1 of 7

True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

true

false

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Origin of desperately

desperate + -ly

OTHER WORDS FROM desperately

qua·si-des·per·ate·ly, adverb

Words nearby desperately

despairing, despatch, Despenser, desperado, desperate, desperately, desperation, despicable, despise, despite, despiteful

How to use desperately in a sentence

“Otherwise, it was a desperate, vomitous attack on every American who bothered to vote,” he said.
‘Our voting system is fine. ... It’s Rudy that’s broken’: Late-night hosts mock Giuliani’s ‘insane’ news conference|Andrea Salcedo|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Tetzlaff proposed capturing that water, treating and reselling it to Southern California utilities, which are desperate for more local supplies.
Two Companies See a Golden Opportunity in the Tijuana River’s Brown Waters|MacKenzie Elmer|November 20, 2020|Voice of San Diego
By that point, he was desperate to get his inner life back on track and hoped that therapy might make a difference.
The Synchronicity of Wolfgang Pauli and Carl Jung - Issue 93: Forerunners|Paul Halpern|November 18, 2020|Nautilus
People are getting so desperate and it’s our own country’s fault.
Texas activists rally behind human trafficking victims|Michael K. Lavers|November 18, 2020|Washington Blade

The company was cofounded by Hennes Weiss, an Austrian music promoter, who is desperate to revive the live-music scene that is currently locked down across much of Europe.
Want to bring back major sports events and concerts? The answer may lie in a mouthwash test for COVID|David Meyer|November 14, 2020|Fortune
He exploited a physique that most would try desperately to diminish.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She seemed to create her own world and you desperately wanted to be part of it.
Is Bigger Better for St. Vincent?|David Yaffe|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Pro-pipeline Democrats, meanwhile, appeared to be searching desperately for ways to turn a crushing defeat into a moral victory.
Keystone Senate Failure Is Environmental Kabuki Theater|Ben Jacobs|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And the show desperately needed the likes of Parker to throw Red off his game, to put a stop to his swagger.
The Blacklist’s Frustrating Fall: Keen’s a Keeper, but Red Regresses|Jason Lynch|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Their community, their city, their country, desperately needs them.
Meet the Liberian Girls Beating Ebola|Abby Haglage|October 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At last Aristide fed him desperately, dandled him eventually to sleep, and returned to an excited pillow.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
She is immensely rich, one of the ablest political women in London, and Jack is desperately in love with her.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
I sometimes think he loved that girl desperately, and would have made her an idolatrous husband.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
At the end of the first shocked instant, they both laughed wildly, desperately.
Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson
Investigation showed three of the guerrillas dead and three more desperately wounded.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn