desperation
Americannoun
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the state of being desperate or of having the recklessness of despair.
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the act or fact of despairing; despair.
noun
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desperate recklessness
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the act of despairing or the state of being desperate
Related Words
See despair.
Etymology
Origin of desperation
1325–75; Middle English desperacioun < Latin dēspērātiōn- (stem of dēspērātiō ). See desperate, -ion
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.
The fact that many Venezuelans were well-educated and highly-skilled compounded the desperation of the situation.
From MarketWatch
“On the Cuban side, it’s desperation and worse desperation,” said García, a Florida Democrat.
Doncic watched with desperation as the shot soared through the air.
From Los Angeles Times
This play confronts humanity’s most essential themes—the quiet desperation of ordinary life and sadness over life’s disappointments.
The highs, the lows, the dramatics, the desperation, it was all there when nothing was there, it was the feeling that even with everything gone, you still belonged to something.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
