desperate Definition
- 1feeling or showing a hopeless sense that a situation is so bad as to be impossible to deal with
- 2having a great need or desire for something
Using desperate: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "desperate" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The refugees were in desperate need of food and shelter.
Example
He made a desperate attempt to save the drowning child.
Example
She was desperate to find a job before her savings ran out.
Example
The team made a desperate effort to win the game in the final minutes.
Example
I'm getting desperate about finding a solution to this problem.
desperate Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with desperate
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 company is in a desperate situation and needs to make some changes quickly.
Example
She's always posting pictures on social media because she's desperate for attention.
Origins of desperate
from Latin 'desperatus', meaning 'given up, abandoned'
Summary: desperate in Brief
The term 'desperate' [ˈdɛsp(ə)rət] refers to feeling or showing a hopeless sense that a situation is impossible to deal with or having a great need or desire for something. It can describe situations like 'The refugees were in desperate need of food and shelter,' or actions like 'He made a desperate attempt to save the drowning child.' The phrase 'desperate times call for desperate measures' suggests taking extreme actions in extremely desperate situations.
