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
There’s this sort of desperation, but how does that manifest in her life for real?
—
Max Gao, Variety, 30 Jan. 2026
There's this sort of desperation, but how does that manifest in her life for real?
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
The regime’s bloodthirsty tactics have testified to its growing desperation, and human-rights activist groups say that anywhere from 6,000 to 16,000 people have been killed.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
Told together, the overlapping stories deal with issues of mental illness, lives of quiet desperation, and the pitiless march of time.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for desperation
Max Gao, Variety, 30 Jan. 2026
There's this sort of desperation, but how does that manifest in her life for real?
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
The regime’s bloodthirsty tactics have testified to its growing desperation, and human-rights activist groups say that anywhere from 6,000 to 16,000 people have been killed.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
Told together, the overlapping stories deal with issues of mental illness, lives of quiet desperation, and the pitiless march of time.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for desperation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperation
Noun
-
Through war, famine, and economic despair, people have come together to survive and thrive.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Europe’s economy is showing signs of recovery, despite widespread despair over its prospects.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Across countries, sadness, anger, loneliness and despair are at the highest levels recorded in decades.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The mood in the crowd was widespread anger and sadness — recalling the same outpouring of wrath and grief that shook the city after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police in 2020, although without the widespread violent protests then.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Additional data shows that the lack of in person connection is quickly becoming a relationship crisis, with 78% of Bumble users sharing that anxiety and stress to present themselves as perfect lead to hopelessness in finding someone, which in turn has lessened the rates of offline relationships.—
Rachel Burchfield,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Another 2022 study from Rutgers University, focused on COVID-19 news, found that greater daily exposure to news about the virus was linked to higher same-day and next-day worry about the pandemic as well as feelings of hopelessness and general worry.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Desperation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperation. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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