desperate

desperate
[[t]de̱spərət[/t]]
♦♦♦
1) ADJ-GRADED If you are desperate, you are in such a bad situation that you are willing to try anything to change it.

Troops are needed to help get food into Kosovo where people are in desperate need...

Desperate with anxiety, Bob and Hans searched the whole house...

A family from Siberia made a desperate attempt to hijack a plane to the West.

Derived words:
desperately ADV-GRADED ADV with v

Thousands are desperately trying to leave their battered homes and villages.

2) ADJ-GRADED: v-link ADJ, usu ADJ to-inf, ADJ for n If you are desperate for something or desperate to do something, you want or need it very much indeed.

They'd been married nearly four years and June was desperate to start a family...

People are desperate for him to do something.

Derived words:
desperately ADV-GRADED ADV with v

He was a boy who desperately needed affection.

3) ADJ-GRADED A desperate situation is very difficult, serious, or dangerous.

India's United Nations ambassador said the situation is desperate...

I decided not to abandon John when he was in such a desperate position.

Syn:

English dictionary. 2008.

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Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Desperate — Des per*ate, a. [L. desperatus, p. p. of desperare. See {Despair}, and cf. {Desperado}.] 1. Without hope; given to despair; hopeless. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] I am desperate of obtaining her. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. Beyond hope; causing despair;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Desperate — may refer to: Despair (emotion), a feeling of hopelessness Desperate (film), a 1947 suspense film directed by Anthony Mann Desperate (Divinyls album) Desperate (Daphne Khoo album) Desperate (Daphne Khoo song) Desperate , a song by David Archuleta …   Wikipedia

  • desperate — ► ADJECTIVE 1) feeling, showing, or involving despair. 2) extremely bad or serious: a desperate shortage. 3) having a great need or desire for something: desperate for a cigarette. 4) violent or dangerous. ● desperate diseases must have desperate …   English terms dictionary

  • desperate — [des′pər it] adj. [ME desperat < L desperatus, pp. of desperare: see DESPAIR] 1. a) driven to or resulting from loss of hope; rash or violent because of despair [a desperate criminal] b) having a very great desire, need, etc. [desperate for… …   English World dictionary

  • desperate — [adj1] reckless, outrageous atrocious, audacious, bold, careless, dangerous, daring, death defying, determined, devilmay care, foolhardy, frantic, frenzied, furious, hasty, hazardous, headlong, headstrong, heinous, impetuous, incautious, madcap,… …   New thesaurus

  • Desperate — Des per*ate, n. One desperate or hopeless. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • desperate — index drastic, hot blooded, pessimistic Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • desperate — early 15c., despairing, hopeless, from L. desperatus given up, despaired of, pp. of desperare (see DESPAIR (Cf. despair)). Sense of driven to recklessness is from late 15c.; weakened sense of having a great desire for is from 1950s. Related:… …   Etymology dictionary

  • desperate — hopeless, despairing, *despondent, forlorn Analogous words: reckless, rash, foolhardy, venturesome (see AD VENTUROUS): *precipitate, headlong: thwarted, foiled, frustrated, outwitted, circumvented, baffled, balked (see FRUSTRATE) Contrasted words …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • desperate — des|per|ate W3 [ˈdespərıt] adj [Date: 1300 1400; : Latin; Origin: desperatus, past participle of desperare; DESPAIR2] 1.) willing to do anything to change a very bad situation, and not caring about danger ▪ I had no money left and was desperate.… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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