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

The Magic have desperately missed that juice and high-energy from the All-Defensive guard. —Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Jan. 2025

The only thing that is certain right now is that California desperately needs aid, and even more so, needs its state and federal leaders to step up to the plate and work together. —Douglas Schoen, Orange County Register, 24 Jan. 2025

Yes, reform of US foreign aid is desperately needed but these draconian measures are unhelpful. —Fatma Tanis, NPR, 24 Jan. 2025

What the brand desperately needs is a long-term strategy that addresses its systemic issues—rather than short-term fixes designed to quiet critics. —Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

desperate + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1