desperately

adverb

des·​per·​ate·​ly ˈde-sp(ə-)rət-lē 

-spərt-

1

: in a way that involves despair, extreme measures, or rashness : in a desperate manner

struggling desperately

desperately crying out

2

: extremely, terribly

desperately tired

desperately important

Synonyms

• achingly
• almighty
• archly
• awful
• awfully
• badly
• beastly
• blisteringly
• bone
• colossally
• corking
• cracking
• damn
• damned
• dang
• deadly
• eminently
• enormously
• especially
• ever
• exceedingly
• exceeding
• extra
• extremely
• fabulously
• fantastically
• far
• fiercely
• filthy
• frightfully
• full
• greatly
• heavily
• highly
• hugely
• immensely
• incredibly
• intensely
• jolly
• majorly
• mightily
• mighty
• monstrous [chiefly dialect]
• mortally
• most
• much
• particularly
• passing
• rattling
• real
• really
• right
• roaring
• roaringly
• seriously
• severely
• so
• sore
• sorely
• spanking
• specially
• stinking
• such
• super
• supremely
• surpassingly
• terribly
• that
• thumping
• too
• unco
• uncommonly
• vastly
• very
• vitally
• way
• whacking
• wicked
• wildly

Examples of desperately in a Sentence

all of a sudden everything went desperately wrong

Recent Examples on the Web

Syria desperately needs investment to rebuild infrastructure and reduce widespread poverty. —Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025

Please, Floridians, speak up to save Medicaid, SNAP and services our communities desperately need. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 May 2025

That’s the separator for me, because the Jazz desperately need someone who can develop into a star-level player. —The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 13 May 2025

Many of us have seen our public schools struggle for money, experienced increasing severe natural disasters like hurricanes and fires, or know a veteran desperately in need of essential services. —Douglas J. Amy, Hartford Courant, 13 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

desperate + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1