SKIP TO CONTENT

desperation

/ˈdɛspəˌreɪʃən/
/dɛspəˈreɪʃən/
IPA guide

Other forms: desperations

Desperation is a hopeless state. If you learned that your friend had sold her beloved shoe collection, you'd know she did it out of desperation.

When you've lost hope or have run out of possible solutions to a problem, you're experiencing desperation. The word implies a reckless kind of frustration. For example, a person who hasn't eaten in three days might steal food out of desperation. The origin of the word traces back to the Latin desperare, "to lose all hope," which is formed from the prefix de-, "without," added to sperare, "hope."

Definitions of desperation
  1. noun
    a state in which all hope is lost or absent
    “courage born of desperation
    synonyms: despair
    see moresee less
    type of:
    condition, status
    a state at a particular time
  2. noun
    desperate recklessness
    “it was a policy of desperation
    see moresee less
    type of:
    foolhardiness, rashness, recklessness
    the trait of giving little thought to danger
Pronunciation
US
/ˈdɛspəˌreɪʃən/
UK
/dɛspəˈreɪʃən/
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘desperation'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family