Meaning & use
desperately
In a way that shows extreme urgency, need, or a willingness to try anything.
See it in a sentence
The stranded hikers desperately searched for a signal to call for help.
She desperately wanted the job and rehearsed her answers for hours.
A note on using this word
"Desperately" can intensify negative situations (desperately ill) or strong wishes (desperately want), so its tone depends on context.
Words with a similar meaning
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Words with an opposite meaning
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