desperate
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.feeling that a situation is so bad that you have no hope left.
adj.feeling or showing a state of despair, typically resulting in a willingness to take extreme risks.
Simple“The lost hikers were desperate and cold after two nights in the woods.”
In context“As the floodwaters rose, the desperate residents climbed onto their roofs, waving brightly coloured clothes to attract the attention of rescue helicopters.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.having a very strong need or desire for something.
adj.having an urgent or distressing need for something specific.
Simple“After the long desert trek, the travellers were desperate for a cold drink.”
In context“The charity reported that thousands of families remain desperate for basic medical supplies following the earthquake.”
PitfallHe was desperate of a glass of water. He was desperate for a glass of water.Use the preposition 'for' when you are desperate to have something.
Antonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.describing a situation that is very serious or dangerous.
adj.extremely serious, dangerous, or bad; leaving little room for hope.
Simple“The hospital is in a desperate situation because they have no more beds.”
In context“The company made a desperate attempt to avoid bankruptcy by selling off its most valuable patents to a competitor.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
adj.used to describe something very intense or strong.
adj.used as an intensifier to describe extreme degree or intensity.
Simple“The two armies fought a desperate battle for control of the bridge.”
In context“Despite their desperate efforts to revive the engine, the ship continued to drift toward the jagged rocks of the coastline.”
- 05 C2 Proficiency
adv.used instead of 'desperately' to mean very much or extremely.
adv.functioning as an intensifier equivalent to 'desperately'; common in specific regional speech patterns.
Simple“It is desperate cold outside today, so make sure you wear your heavy coat.”
In context“The old farmer remarked that it had been a desperate long winter, even by the standards of the high plains.”
UsageIn this dialectal sense, the word functions as an adverb modifying an adjective.
Usage desperate attempt · desperate to see
“She said she is desperate for help to clear it: "The government is taking too long.”
“But Ruteng's hospital is also desperate for help.”
From Middle English desperat(e) (“desperate”), borrowed from Latin dēspērātus, perfect passive participle of dēspērō (“to be without hope”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix). The noun is derived from the adjective or from the Latin source through substantivization, see -ate (noun-forming suffix).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.