# desperate

/ˈdɛspɝɪt/ (US) · /dˈɛspəɹət/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/desperate
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. feeling hopeless

adjective · CEFR B2

feeling that a situation is so bad that you have no hope left.

For teachers: feeling or showing a state of despair, typically resulting in a willingness to take extreme risks.

- The lost hikers were desperate and cold after two nights in the woods.
- As the floodwaters rose, the desperate residents climbed onto their roofs, waving brightly coloured clothes to attract the attention of rescue helicopters.

### 2. needing something badly

adjective · CEFR B2

having a very strong need or desire for something.

For teachers: having an urgent or distressing need for something specific.

- After the long desert trek, the travellers were desperate for a cold drink.
- The charity reported that thousands of families remain desperate for basic medical supplies following the earthquake.

### 3. a dangerous situation

adjective · CEFR B2

describing a situation that is very serious or dangerous.

For teachers: extremely serious, dangerous, or bad; leaving little room for hope.

- The hospital is in a desperate situation because they have no more beds.
- The company made a desperate attempt to avoid bankruptcy by selling off its most valuable patents to a competitor.

### 4. extreme or intense

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

used to describe something very intense or strong.

For teachers: used as an intensifier to describe extreme degree or intensity.

- The two armies fought a desperate battle for control of the bridge.
- Despite their desperate efforts to revive the engine, the ship continued to drift toward the jagged rocks of the coastline.

### 5. very much

adverb · CEFR C2 · Dialect · American English · Informal

used instead of 'desperately' to mean very much or extremely.

For teachers: functioning as an intensifier equivalent to 'desperately'; common in specific regional speech patterns.

- It is desperate cold outside today, so make sure you wear your heavy coat.
- The old farmer remarked that it had been a desperate long winter, even by the standards of the high plains.

Usage: In this dialectal sense, the word functions as an adverb modifying an adjective.

## Examples

- The hungry family was desperate for food.
- The company made a desperate attempt to save money by firing half of its staff overnight.
- As the floodwaters rose, the stranded hikers made a desperate climb toward the higher ridges, knowing their survival depended on reaching the summit before nightfall.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.