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
Potential clients can sense the desperation of new founders eager to get business and established founders panicking about payroll.
—
Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Bissouma had been stripped of the ball by Pedro Neto on the halfway line and made the situation worse in his desperation to atone for the initial error.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Elizabeth’s words reveal a concerning dynamic: When hope for treatment disappears, a dangerous desperation can take its place.
—Kathryn Rhine, The Conversation, 19 May 2025
Critics argue the murders were calculated acts of greed, rather than acts of desperation by abuse victims.
—Hanna Park, CNN Money, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for desperation
Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Bissouma had been stripped of the ball by Pedro Neto on the halfway line and made the situation worse in his desperation to atone for the initial error.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Elizabeth’s words reveal a concerning dynamic: When hope for treatment disappears, a dangerous desperation can take its place.
—Kathryn Rhine, The Conversation, 19 May 2025
Critics argue the murders were calculated acts of greed, rather than acts of desperation by abuse victims.
—Hanna Park, CNN Money, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for desperation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperation
despair
Noun
-
But the Squid Game stops for no one, so Gi-hun will be forced to make some important choices in the face of overwhelming despair as he and the surviving players are thrust into deadlier games that test everyone’s resolve.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
1 June 2025
-
Garrett, Allegany and Washington counties are now symbols of neglect, where economic despair has replaced the industrious and seemingly indomitable spirit that had once defined them.—
Daniel A.C. McBride,
Baltimore Sun,
1 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desperation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperation. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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