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 The flashbacks show how desperate his parents become after John Stewart, Sr. — Matt Minton, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026 Families covered hospital walls with posters showing missing relatives, photographs and contact numbers in a desperate appeal for any clue that could bring them home. — Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026 Then began the desperate, confusing search for their colleagues. — Ross Adkin, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026 This symbolic gesture is a desperate attempt to spark a turnaround for the slugger, whose power outage follows a recent $500 million extension. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 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
  • Corruption was endemic, and the country’s deeper troubles—its poverty, its social inequities, and the hopeless conditions that drive millions of Nepalis to emigrate for work—endured, laying the kindling for last year’s explosion.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Sometimes, love in a hopeless place is worth the price of admission.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of hopeless
Adjective
  • Before long, the book moves back in time to shadow the king himself, an unhappy leader thrust into his role by chance and now on the brink of death.
    — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Age came with evidence — every mistake, playoff loss and unhappy ending.
    — Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of unhappy
Adjective
  • This formula carried his last offering, the funny and sad, Colin Farrell-led The Banshees of Inisherin to nine Oscar nominations in 2022.
    — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Hunter said it’s been sad to see photos of the devastation wrought by the fire.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of sad
Adjective
  • Nice people may of course become irritated, disappointed, jealous, or defensive, since niceness does not require sainthood.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • At the end of last season, Madrid fans were left quite disappointed following a rare trophy-less season for the club.
    — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of disappointed
Adjective
  • 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
  • After 25 years, you'd be forgiven for thinking — despairing, really — that the formula for a perfect Scary Movie has been forgotten.
    — Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026
Definition of despairing
Adjective
  • And his cynical dealings in Washington foreshadowed a toxification of US politics that now runs rampant.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The cynical explanation is that the Treasury Secretary is playing politics.
    — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of cynical
Adjective
  • And what is perhaps most frightening, in those despondent moments that inevitably follow the exhilarating rush, is the realization that this enveloping abyss retains the imprint of our actions.
    — Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Three years ago, Cat Cohen was lying in a hospital bed feeling despondent.
    — Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026
Definition of despondent
Adjective
  • Fans across Kansas City posted heartbroken notes of appreciation for the country legend.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Speaking during a recent career retrospective hosted by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the 71-year-old actor revealed that his Thelma & Louise co-star left him heartbroken.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of heartbroken

Browse Nearby Words

desperadoes
desperate
desperately
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Desperate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperate. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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