desperately Definition
- 1in a way that shows despair, hopelessness, or extreme need
- 2with great urgency or intensity
Using desperately: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "desperately" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
She was desperately trying to find her lost keys.
Example
He desperately needed a job to pay his bills.
Example
The team was playing desperately to win the game.
Example
I'm desperately sorry for what I said.
desperately Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with desperately
used in advertisements by people who are looking for something they need very much
Example
Desperately seeking a new apartment in the city center.
when you are extremely desperate you need to take extreme actions
Example
I know it's not ideal, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
Example
The refugees were in a desperate situation, with no food or shelter.
Origins of desperately
from desperate, from Latin 'desperatus', meaning 'given up, abandoned'
Summary: desperately in Brief
The adverb 'desperately' [ˈdɛsp(ə)rətli] denotes a sense of despair, hopelessness, or extreme need. It can also indicate great urgency or intensity, as in 'The team was playing desperately to win the game.' Phrases like 'desperately seeking' and 'a desperate situation' highlight the extremity of the need, while the idiom 'desperate times call for desperate measures' suggests that extreme situations require extreme actions.