desperate

CEFRB1

/ˈdɛs.p(ə.)ɹɪt/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Feeling or showing that you have little hope and need help.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Being filled with, or in a state of, despair; hopeless.

Examples

  • Police described the killer as ‘a desperate and evil man’.

  • Desperate men often do desperate things.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5

Also pronounced

  • /ˈdes.p(ə.)ɹɪt/

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Beyond hope, leaving little reason for hope; causing despair; extremely perilous.

  2. In dire need (of something); having a dire need or desire.

  3. Involving or employing extreme measures, without regard to danger or safety; reckless due to hopelessness.

More examples

In context

  • Suicide is a desperate act.

  • I hadn't eaten in two days and was desperate for food.

  • I was so desperate at one point, I even went to see a loan shark.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The stranded hikers grew increasingly blank as their food and water ran out.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

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).