请输入您要查询的英文单词:

 

单词 desperate
释义

desperateadjective

uk/ˈdes.pər.ət/us/ˈdes.pɚ.ət/

desperate adjective (SERIOUS)

C2 very serious or bad:

desperate poverty
a desperate shortage of food/supplies
The situation is desperate - we have no food, very little water and no medical supplies.

very great or extreme:

The earthquake survivors are in desperate need of help.
He has a desperate desire to succeed.
informal I'm in a desperate hurry.

More examples

  • I felt I couldn't cope with the situation and was in desperate need of some reassurance.
  • They spun us a story about being in desperate need of money.
  • Her desperate request for help was met with a rebuff.
  • They spun us a story about being in desperate need of money.
  • This is a desperate situation which requires a truly radical solution.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Serious and severe

  • acute
  • chronic
  • critical
  • critically
  • dire
  • egregious
  • gravity
  • grievous
  • heaviness
  • heavy
  • mortal
  • serious
  • seriously
  • severely
  • severity
  • stiff
  • stiffness
  • swingeing
  • terminal
  • utmost

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Linguistics: very & extreme

desperate adjective (WANTING)

B2 [ usually after verb ] needing or wanting something very much:

They are desperate for help.
UK humorous I'm desperate for a drink!
[ + to infinitive ] UK humorous He was desperate to tell someone his good news.

More examples

  • The fashion industry is always desperate to innovate.
  • He seems to have a desperate need to be loved by everyone.
  • As he left the theatre, the singer was set upon by fans desperate for autographs.
  • I was desperate to find a way out of teaching so when this job came along I snatched at it.
  • It was a bit insensitive of Fiona to go on so much about fat people when she knows Mandy is desperate to lose weight.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Wanting things

  • ache for sth
  • acquisitive
  • ambitious
  • angle
  • angle for sth
  • aspirant
  • burn
  • fancy
  • finger
  • hang the cost/expense idiom
  • hanker after/for sth
  • have your eye on sth idiom
  • hunger
  • hunger after/for sth
  • set your sights on sth idiom
  • shook
  • sight
  • sth is calling you idiom
  • straw
  • tempt

See more results »

desperate adjective (RISKY)

B2 feeling that you have no hope and are ready to do anything to change the bad situation you are in:

The doctors made one last desperate attempt/effort to save the boy's life.
Desperate measures are needed to deal with the growing drug problem.
They made a desperate plea for help.

willing to be violent, and therefore dangerous:

This man is desperate and should not be approached since he may have a gun.

More examples

  • It was a desperate attempt to salvage the situation.
  • The government took desperate measures to keep the economy running.
  • I'm not so desperate as to agree to that.
  • Security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets in a desperate attempt to maintain control.
  • Villagers used sandbags in a desperate attempt to save their homes from the flood water.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Dangers and threats

  • baneful
  • black spot
  • brinkmanship
  • calculated risk
  • chance
  • darkly
  • desperately
  • dodgy
  • firetrap
  • hazard
  • hazardous
  • hazmat
  • high-risk
  • hostage
  • perilous
  • poisoned chalice
  • precarious
  • pull
  • pull a gun, knife, etc. on sb idiom
  • treacherous

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Violent or aggressive
随便看

 

英语词典包含110679条英英释义在线翻译词条,基本涵盖了全部常用单词的英英翻译及用法,是英语学习的有利工具。

 

Copyright © 2004-2022 Newdu.com All Rights Reserved
更新时间:2025/3/21 11:42:20