Meaning & use

desperation

noun·Academic

A state of extreme distress or urgency, often leading someone to take reckless or drastic action.

See it in a sentence

Out of desperation, she sold her car to pay the overdue rent.

There was a note of desperation in his voice as he begged for a second chance.

A note on using this word

Desperation implies a situation so dire that ordinary caution or judgment is set aside, often producing extreme or risky behavior.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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