desperate

American  

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

adjective

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

   a desperate killer.

   Synonyms:

   frantic, rash

   Antonyms:

   careful

2. having an urgent need, desire, etc..

   desperate for attention;

   desperate to find a job.

3. leaving little or no hope; very serious or dangerous.

   a desperate illness.

   Synonyms:

   grave

   Antonyms:

   hopeful

4. extremely bad; intolerable or shocking.

   clothes in desperate taste.

5. extreme or excessive.

6. making a final, ultimate effort; giving all.

   a desperate attempt to save a life.

7. actuated by a feeling of hopelessness.

8. having no hope; giving in to despair.

   Synonyms:

   desolate, forlorn

   Antonyms:

   hopeful

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noun

1. Obsolete. a desperado.

desperate British  

/ ˈdɛspərɪt, -prɪt /

adjective

1. careless of danger, as from despair; utterly reckless

2. (of an act) reckless; risky

3. used or undertaken in desperation or as a last resort

   desperate measures

4. critical; very grave

   in desperate need

5. in distress and having a great need or desire

6. moved by or showing despair or hopelessness; despairing

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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”; see despair, -ate ¹

Explanation

Desperate means "having lost all hope." If you are desperate for food, it means you are starving, possibly about to die. If you are in a desperate situation, it means things are really, really bad. Desperate, desparate, or despirate? The word desperate is misspelled often enough that it's the despair of English teachers. Both desperate and despair come from the same Latin verb as despair. Don't mix it up with disparate, a totally different word that means "distinctive, different, various."

Example Sentences

For now, investors seem happy to embrace the uncertainty but it won’t be long before markets become desperate for clarity.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

And his replacement, Marco Rose, will be desperate for defender Marcos Senesi to stay in Dorset.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

Barron’s declared that “AI Remains a Glaring Problem for Apple” and that the company is in desperate need of a “New Era of Innovation.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

The state government, desperate to stimulate the economy and its moribund real-estate sector, began eroding the growth management plan that had restrained development.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

I had to trust Regan in the same desperate way that a skydiver trusts his parachute, and that feeling was uncomfortable for someone like me.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Related Words

• bold
• dangerous
• daring
• determined
• frantic
• frenzied
• furious
• violent