Dictionary definition · desperate
noun
- a person who is frightened and in need of help"they prey on the hopes of the desperate"
adjective
- arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope"a despairing view of the world situation"
- desperately determined"do-or-die revolutionaries"
- (of persons) dangerously reckless or violent as from urgency or despair"a desperate criminal"
- showing extreme courage; especially of actions courageously undertaken in desperation as a last resort"made a last desperate attempt to reach the climber"
- showing extreme urgency or intensity especially because of great need or desire"felt a desperate urge to confess"
- fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless"a desperate illness"
Similar words
Source: Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).