desperate

adjective

ˈde-sp(ə-)rət How to pronounce desperate (audio)
Definition of desperatenext
as in hopeless
feeling or showing no hope desperate cancer patients who are vulnerable to the claims of unscrupulous quacks

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective desperate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of desperate are despairing, despondent, and hopeless. While all these words mean "having lost all or nearly all hope," desperate implies despair that prompts reckless action or violence in the face of defeat or frustration.

one last desperate attempt to turn the tide of battle

Where would despairing be a reasonable alternative to desperate?

While the synonyms despairing and desperate are close in meaning, despairing suggests the slipping away of all hope and often despondency.

despairing appeals for the return of the kidnapped child

When might despondent be a better fit than desperate?

The words despondent and desperate can be used in similar contexts, but despondent implies a deep dejection arising from a conviction of the uselessness of further effort.

despondent about yet another rejection

In what contexts can hopeless take the place of desperate?

The meanings of hopeless and desperate largely overlap; however, hopeless suggests despair and the cessation of effort or resistance and often implies acceptance or resignation.

the situation of the trapped miners is hopeless

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of desperate With a Chase McLaughlin field goal making it 24-10, the Cowboys felt desperate at the end of the third quarter, going for it on fourth down near midfield and failing to convert. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026 Zuckerberg is desperate to diversify away from online ads, which still account for almost all of the company's revenue, and he's got a long way to go to prove that Muse can be a key piece of that effort. — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026 Audio recordings of her desperate pleas for help to Palestinian paramedics were heard around the world. — Ciara Moran, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 In 2022, Brian Robbins, then leading Paramount Pictures, was desperate to bring two cinematic universes together. — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for desperate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperate
  1. hopeless
  2. unhappy
  3. sad
  4. disappointed
  5. despairing
  6. cynical
  7. despondent
  8. heartbroken
Adjective
  • Johnston, who made his breakout performance as the toxically hopeless romantic Bear in Curry Barker’s Obsession, has most recently been in talks to join Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in the upcoming fourth installment of The Mummy.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • For all the apocalyptic overtones in the film, Gibney doesn’t want audiences to come away feeling hopeless.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of hopeless
Adjective
  • Its success made Cohn a rich, if unhappy, man, at least for a long while.
    — Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 6 Oct. 2026
  • What appeared to be a fairly normal election for a president halfway through his term — a probable setback, as unhappy voters register their discontent — has the potential, Cook said, to turn into a disaster for Republicans.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of unhappy
Adjective
  • Spark, a writer of the first rank, brought her beautifully to life in this moving, rather sad novel of Edinburgh in the 1930s.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 5 Oct. 2026
  • And yet the allegation against her now enters Orange County’s long, sad spectrum of anti-Mexican political history.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of sad
Adjective
  • Some others have inveighed against the little boy for looking disappointed.
    — Scott Simon, NPR, 10 Oct. 2026
  • A day later, Kwon weighed in again, addressing a disappointed employee.
    — Garrison Lovely, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of disappointed
Adjective
  • Introduced in a state of drunken collapse, Anderson — fearful, bitter, despairing, protective — is quite magnificent limning different levels of intoxication.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Smashed with the instep of Mbappe’s right foot, the ball arced viciously into the top-right corner, beyond Bounou’s despairing dive.
    — Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of despairing
Adjective
  • In the tradition of Warhol’s Factory, the outsourcing became the provocation itself—the era’s most cynical embodiment of art-as-commodity.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The administration’s hostility to the principle and mechanisms of international legal accountability makes eminent if cynical sense in light of its many transgressions.
    — Anjali Dayal, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of cynical
Adjective
  • One of Craig Bartlett’s profoundest childhood memories involves a despondent turtle.
    — Darryn King, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Michigan fans looked dumbfounded and despondent at the Big House, watching what looked like the program’s first loss to a MAC team since 2008.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of despondent
Adjective
  • Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire honored Macy at a county Board of Supervisors meeting Wednesday, telling community leaders that her death had left his office and the wider community heartbroken.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Daria’s heartbroken family declined to comment on her death Saturday.
    — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of heartbroken

Browse Nearby Words

desperadoes
desperate
desperately
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Cite this Entry

“Desperate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperate. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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