desperation
noun
des·per·a·tion
ˌde-spə-ˈrā-shən 
1
: loss of hope and surrender to despair
2
: a state of hopelessness leading to rashness
In desperation, he fled.
Examples of desperation in a Sentence
She felt overcome by desperation.
the desperation of severe poverty
They hired me out of desperation, because they couldn't get anyone else.
Finally, in desperation, he tried to flee the country.
Recent Examples on the Web
Her early death, after an illness that the father initially contrives to ignore then notices just in time to capture her desperation in a fine sketch, leaves Mimí utterly disoriented, yearning only to achieve a level of self-control and detachment that will spare him their tumultuous struggle.
—
Tim Parks, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Unlike Coop, whose thievery is driven by financial desperation, Hamm’s hypothetical motivation is pure mischief.
—Ryan Brennan
april 1, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
The United Arab Emirates responded by asking the UN to authorize measures, including the use of force, to reopen the strait, a sign of increasing desperation among Gulf states dependent on passage through it.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
But Lumet and screenwriter Frank Pierson ease up on the laughs as Sonny’s predicament grows more helpless, allowing the audience to feel his desperation as the drama barrels toward a tragic finale.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for desperation
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Tim Parks, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Unlike Coop, whose thievery is driven by financial desperation, Hamm’s hypothetical motivation is pure mischief.
—Ryan Brennan
april 1, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
The United Arab Emirates responded by asking the UN to authorize measures, including the use of force, to reopen the strait, a sign of increasing desperation among Gulf states dependent on passage through it.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
But Lumet and screenwriter Frank Pierson ease up on the laughs as Sonny’s predicament grows more helpless, allowing the audience to feel his desperation as the drama barrels toward a tragic finale.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for desperation
Cite this Entry
“Desperation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desperation. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
desperation
noun
des·per·a·tion
ˌdes-pə-ˈrā-shən
1
: a loss of hope and surrender to misery or dread
2
: a state of hopelessness leading to extreme recklessness
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