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Definitions

desperate

[des-per-it, -prit] / ˈdɛs pər ɪt, -prɪt /
ADJECTIVE
reckless, outrageous
Synonyms
STRONGEST
bold dangerous daring determined frantic frenzied furious violent
STRONG
madcap precipitate rash wild
WEAK
atrocious audacious careless death-defying devil-may-care foolhardy hasty hazardous headlong headstrong heinous impetuous incautious monstrous risky scandalous shocking venturesome
Antonyms
STRONGEST
afraid calm cowardly fearful meek mild moderate peaceful quiet shy timid weak
WEAK
content contented hopeful satisfactory satisfied secure unworried
ADJECTIVE
extreme, intense
Synonyms
STRONGEST
critical dire fierce furious great terrible urgent violent
STRONG
acute climacteric
WEAK
concentrated crucial drastic exquisite vehement very grave vicious
Antonyms
STRONGEST
calm gentle good mild moderate nice peaceful trivial unimportant
WEAK
content contented hopeful satisfactory satisfied secure unworried
ADJECTIVE
hopeless
Synonyms
STRONGEST
despondent forlorn futile sad vain
STRONG
downcast goner
WEAK
at end of one's rope back to the wall can't win dead duck despairing desponding gone hard up in the soup in the toilet inconsolable irrecoverable irremediable irretrievable no chance no-win running out of time sunk up against it up the creek useless wretched
Antonyms
STRONGEST
cheerful happy hopeful joyful
WEAK
calm confident content contented satisfactory satisfied secure unworried

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.

And No. 2, software companies are desperate to attach AI tools to prevent their customers from doing so themselves.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

Consumers in Europe and Asia are desperate for natural gas today.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

Dr Lucy Whitaker, gynaecologist and researcher at the University of Edinburgh, who was not involved in the study, says there is a "desperate need for new non-invasive imaging techniques".

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

The IPOs of Anthropic and OpenAI are expected to be the biggest ever, and investors are desperate to find ways into the stocks before they list.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

But if “experimental high-tech . . . autopilot” was the best he could do, he was really getting desperate.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Vocabulary lists containing desperate

List 8

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"Sorry, Wrong Number," Vocabulary from the play

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Commonly Misspelled Words, List 4

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