desperately

adverb

ˈde-sp(ə-)rət-lē How to pronounce desperately (audio)
Definition of desperatelynext
as in extremely
to a great degree all of a sudden everything went desperately wrong

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of desperately Underneath the celebrity and the tabloid headlines is someone who’s vulnerable, funny and desperately trying to hold her life together. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026 Featuring so many characters and elements from the games that non-aficionados are left desperately attempting to keep up, Street Fighter tries to thread the needle between fan service and welcoming the uninitiated. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026 Trailing the Brewers 2-0 in the best-of-seven series, the Dodgers desperately need to put themselves in the best possible position to win Game 3 and avoid four straight win-or-go-home contests. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 The Navy desperately needs more subs, and Baltimore stands to gain thousands of jobs, but making the primary customer a 40 percent owner of a new facility risks undermining market discipline. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for desperately
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperately
  1. extremely
  2. terribly
  3. badly
  4. incredibly
  5. very
  6. too
  7. so
  8. really
Adverb
  • Today, however, plague is curable and extremely unlikely to blow up into a new pandemic, experts say.
    — Faye Flam, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Nowhere was his balancing act viewed more extremely than with Ukraine.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of extremely
Adverb
  • That’s not terribly surprising given the two teams have clashed multiple times over the past 25 years of Xbox.
    — Tom Warren, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Conservation can go terribly wrong if local communities aren’t consulted during planning.
    — David Ginsburg, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of terribly
Adverb
  • Seems extreme on the downside, but the deal was placed really badly in a bad tape.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Playing the contrarian to the Federal Reserve’s plans to stimulate or dampen the economy only ends badly.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of badly
Adverb
  • There's no doubt that Riley Green's acoustic performances are incredibly popular.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • These teachers work with students who have an incredibly diverse set of needs, including those with autism, learning disabilities such as dyslexia, developmental delays and physical disabilities.
    — Jonaki Mehta, NPR, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of incredibly
Adverb
  • And Winnie-the-Pooh continues to sit, in a thoughtful sort of way, which is what very old bears in very nice glass cases mostly do.
    — STEVE HENDRIX THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The Dolphins’ attendance has dropped significantly so far this season, albeit in a very limited sample size.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of very
Adverb
  • But the clean provenance and their New York highlife has never appeased Pooh partisans who think Fifth Avenue is much too far from the Hundred Acre Wood.
    — STEVE HENDRIX THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The implication was that his predecessor Scott Stuber had overpaid for talent and too-ambitiously committed to a new Netflix movie release every week in 2022.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of too
Adverb
  • For a network that is so aware of what is said about it, its first Super Bowl will be shadowed by its broadcasters.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Home ownership doesn’t always mean stability, so consider these factors before deciding whether to rent or buy.
    — Maurie Backman, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of so
Adverb
  • And yet 59% of the Hornets’ shots came from three-point range — this is a team that really never stops shooting them, for better or for worse.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Loves, cities, and musical genres may change, but that girl who felt left out has never really stopped writing.
    — Ilaria Perrotta, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of really

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Cite this Entry

“Desperately.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperately. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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