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
Alas, Godwin’s gentle take on the tragicomedy misses the explosive nature of this moment, the desperation these characters feel to change their fate right now or live and die steeped in stifling ennui.
—
Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2025
The lengths to which either sister will go to derail the other’s career testifies to the desperation of artists hemmed in by a repressive government.
—Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Feb. 2025
Their swollen limbs, skeletal frames, and mewling cries of desperation are what keep me awake at night.
—Jennifer Furin, TIME, 19 Feb. 2025
Suddenly, Alyssa’s quiet suburban street spirals into a warzone of desperation; neighbors and families turn against each other on the hunt for water.
—Ashlee Conour, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desperation
Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2025
The lengths to which either sister will go to derail the other’s career testifies to the desperation of artists hemmed in by a repressive government.
—Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Feb. 2025
Their swollen limbs, skeletal frames, and mewling cries of desperation are what keep me awake at night.
—Jennifer Furin, TIME, 19 Feb. 2025
Suddenly, Alyssa’s quiet suburban street spirals into a warzone of desperation; neighbors and families turn against each other on the hunt for water.
—Ashlee Conour, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desperation
Cite this Entry
“Desperation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperation. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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