desperate
desperate Lexical Profile
desperate Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Feeling, showing, or involving a sense that a situation is so bad as to be impossible to deal with; nearly without hope.
"After weeks of searching for a new apartment, she began to feel desperate."
Having a great or urgent need or desire for something.
"Following the long hike in the summer heat, the travelers were desperate for water."
Tried or done as a last resort when everything else has failed; involving extreme risk.
"The coach made a desperate attempt to change the strategy in the final minutes of the game."
Extremely serious, severe, or dangerous (of a state or situation).
"The hospital faced a desperate shortage of medical supplies during the winter storm."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'desperate' (feeling hopeless or in urgent need) with 'disparate' (fundamentally different or distinct in kind).
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Latin 'desperatus', the past participle of 'desperare' ('to lose hope'), formed from 'de-' ('away from, without') and 'sperare' ('to hope').