I. ˈdesp(ə)rə̇]t, -pər]t, usu ]d.+V adjective
Etymology: Latin desperatus, past participle of desperare to despair — more at despair
1. : having lost hope : yielding to despair
he seemed, somehow, helpless and desperate , as if he had come to the end of his tether — Rose Macaulay
: giving no ground for hope
the prospect was not only grim, it was desperate . Britain stood alone; Dunkirk, for all its heroism, had been a disaster — H.S.Commager
2.
a. : moved by despair
there is reason to believe that they jumped overboard of their own will, made desperate at the sight of the sacrifice of a brother — B.N.Cardozo
: likely to seize at wild vain hopes
act with the folly and extravagance of desperate men — Adam Smith
: involving the adoption of grim, rash, or otherwise extreme measures to escape defeat or frustration
they have gradually lost faith in their own traditional ways and are ready for any desperate attempt to catch up with modern civilization — M.H.Trytten
b. : arising from or indicative of extreme need or pressure of circumstance
those artists whom the presage of an early death stimulates to a desperate activity — Roger Fry
had conceived the desperate idea of seeking the family fortune in the United States — Helen B. Woodward
c. : facing the worst with resolution and disregard of the cost
it found her despairing: it left her desperate — two different states — Charlotte Brontë
especially : exerting one's last ounce of energy in a do-or-die effort
the desperate gallantry of our naval task forces marked the turning point in the Pacific — G.C.Marshall
there is such a thing as a desperate pursuit of Truth; a pursuit fierce, relentless, absorbing — J.C.Powys
d. : suffering extreme need or anxiety
the old lady was desperate for money — Mary R. Rinehart
desperate for something to do — F.L.Keefe
in sudden terror at his tone, desperate to please him — B.A.Williams
3.
a.
(1) : devoid of any reasonable hope of betterment, solution, success, or salvation
that A is in affluent circumstances while B is in desperate straits, with heavy responsibilities — W.M.Sibley
for many institutions, the financial stringency which had been desperate during the war — T.L.Hungate
(2) : practically irretrievable : uncollectible
a desperate debt
b. : fraught with extreme danger or impending disaster : crucial
on all the fighting fronts the Allies were in a desperate situation due to lack of adequate materiel — G.C.Marshall
the question of defense has been desperate for Israel from the day it became a state in 1948 — Claire Sterling
c. : suited to or incited by an all but hopeless situation
the bitter, desperate striving unto death of the oppressed race — Rose Macaulay
iron plates which Renwick had a desperate time getting because of the war — James Dugan
4. : of extreme intensity : overpowering , overmastering , vehement
I take desperate likes and dislikes — John Buchan
a desperate languor descended heavily upon her, and she slept — Elinor Wylie
two archrivals may be seen avoiding each other with desperate zeal — R.D.Altick
5. : shocking , outrageous
everywhere there was a desperate grime and greasiness — William McFee
sentimentality is a desperate word to hurl at an artist of any kind — Herbert Read
Synonyms: see despondent
II. noun
( -s )
1. archaic : a person in desperate condition or circumstances
2. obsolete : a desperate character : desperado 2
III. adverb
dialect : desperately
IV. -pəˌrāt\ transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to render desperate