Desperate - Meaning, Definition & English Examples
Desperate means feeling or showing extreme urgency, hopelessness, or a strong need for help, often due to a difficult situation. It can also describe reckless actions driven by despair.
Definition:
Feeling or showing extreme despair, urgency, or a reckless need due to hopelessness.
Synonyms:
frantic, hopeless, dire, despairing
Part of Speech:
adjective
Antonyms:
hopeful, confident
Common Collocations:
desperate situation, desperate measures, desperate attempt, desperate need
Derivatives:
desperately, desperation
Usage Tips:
Use "desperate" to describe intense urgency or extreme distress; avoid overuse for minor situations.
Common Phrases:
desperate times call for desperate measures, desperate for attention, last desperate attempt
Etymology:
From Latin *desperatus*, past participle of *desperare* ("to despair"), from *de-* ("without") + *sperare* ("to hope").
Examples:
- 1. She felt desperate after losing her job.
- 2. The team made a desperate effort to win the game.
- 3. He was desperate for help when his car broke down.
- 4. Her desperate cries alerted the neighbors to the fire.