as in despair
utter loss of hope
during the famine her desperation drove her to do things she wouldn't have normally considered
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Recent Examples of desperation
There are tears, anger, desperation.
—
Jessica Tzikas, Sun Sentinel, 18 June 2026
Maddie attempts to maintain a good-girl façade veiling dangerous inner turmoil, while picture-perfect recipe videos mask an unsettling desperation for fame.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 June 2026
Lately, he’s been chronicling the island’s deepening energy crisis and the desperation that crisis is producing.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026
Vegas pulled Carter Hart with about three minutes to go, officially entering desperation mode, but nothing worked, and Nikolaj Ehlers scored an empty-netter to start the party.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for desperation
Jessica Tzikas, Sun Sentinel, 18 June 2026
Maddie attempts to maintain a good-girl façade veiling dangerous inner turmoil, while picture-perfect recipe videos mask an unsettling desperation for fame.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 June 2026
Lately, he’s been chronicling the island’s deepening energy crisis and the desperation that crisis is producing.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026
Vegas pulled Carter Hart with about three minutes to go, officially entering desperation mode, but nothing worked, and Nikolaj Ehlers scored an empty-netter to start the party.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for desperation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperation
Noun
-
Paula turns on a dime, expertly masks her horror, stress, and despair, and puts on a smile for her little girl.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
-
What happened last night was a double dip of despair.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
Fear, joy, surprise, sadness, excitement.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
18 June 2026
-
Exceeding expectations As a trip set mainly in concentration camps, sadness is often the top expectation.—
Jessica Tzikas,
Sun Sentinel,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
There were scandals and heartbreak and dysfunction and, worst of all, a hopelessness.—
Mike Vorkunov,
New York Times,
14 June 2026
-
That essay, written in 1940 — the same year Native Son was published — is suffused with profound hopelessness for what was indeed to come.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Desperation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperation. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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