desperate
In dire need (of something); having a dire need or desire.
Example
“I hadn't eaten in two days and was desperate for food.”
Other meanings
Being filled with, or in a state of, despair; hopeless.
“I was so desperate at one point, I even went to see a loan shark.”
Beyond hope, leaving little reason for hope; causing despair; extremely perilous.
“a desperate disease; desperate fortune”
Related words
- desperately
- desperateness
- nondesperate
- overdesperate
- undesperate
- desperation
Example sentences
Word history
From Latin "dēspērātus".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “desperate” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.