desperate Meaning & Definition
What Does Desperate Mean?
Desperate is used as an adjective meaning having lost hope. It can also mean giving no ground for hope.
Desperate at a Glance
| Part of speech | adjective |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈde-sp(ə-)rət/ |
| Syllables | 3 |
| Synonyms | imperative, critical and hopeless |
| Antonyms | hopeful, optimistic and ecstatic |
| Comparative / superlative | more desperate, most desperate |
Desperate Definition (Adjective)
- having lost hope
a desperate spirit crying for relief
- giving no ground for hope
Their financial outlook was desperate.
- moved by despair or utter loss of hope
victims made desperate by lack of any sign of rescue
- involving or employing extreme measures in an attempt to escape defeat or frustration
made a desperate leap for the rope
- suffering extreme need or anxiety
desperate for money / desperate to prove she was innocent / celebrities desperate for attention
- involving extreme danger or possible disaster
a desperate situation
- of extreme intensity
a desperate shortage of supplies
- shocking, outrageous
Synonyms of Desperate
Antonyms of Desperate
Desperate in a Sentence
I hadn't eaten in two days and was desperate for food.
desperate to eat; desperate for attention
I was so desperate at one point, I even went to see a loan shark.
a desperate disease; desperate fortune
He dove into the rushing waters in a desperate effort to save her life.
a desperate effort
a desperate spirit crying for relief
Their financial outlook was desperate.
victims made desperate by lack of any sign of rescue
made a desperate leap for the rope
desperate for money
desperate to prove she was innocent
celebrities desperate for attention
a desperate situation
a desperate shortage of supplies
desperate cancer patients who are vulnerable to the claims of unscrupulous quacks
desperate for money / desperate to prove she was innocent / celebrities desperate for attention
Word Forms & Grammar
des·per·ate·ness noun
desperate
desperateness
desperatenesses
desperate (comparative more desperate or (rare, proscribed) desperater, superlative most desperate or (proscribed) desperatest)
desperate (comparative more desperate, superlative most desperate)
desperate (plural desperates)
Origin of Desperate
Origin 1: Middle English desperat, borrowed from Latin dēspērātus, past participle of dēspērāre "to give up as hopeless, despair of" despair:2
Origin 2: From Middle English desperat(e) (“desperate”), borrowed from Latin dēspērātus, perfect passive participle of dēspērō (“to be without hope”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix). The noun is derived from the adjective or from the Latin source through substantivization, see -ate (noun-forming suffix).
First Known Use
15th century
Desperate Pronunciation
Desperate is pronounced /ˈde-sp(ə-)rət/ and has 3 syllables, with the main stress on the first syllable (de).
Desperate: Your Questions Answered
What part of speech is desperate?
Desperate is an adjective.
What is another word for desperate?
Words with a similar meaning to desperate include imperative, critical and hopeless. See the full list of desperate synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of desperate?
Words opposite in meaning to desperate are hopeful, optimistic, ecstatic and elated.
What are the comparative and superlative forms of desperate?
The comparative form is more desperate and the superlative form is most desperate.