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# desperate

«desperate» in Mova's school dictionary: **Feeling that you have little hope and will do anything to…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

adjective (desperate; more desperate, most desperate)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Feeling that you have little hope and will do anything to change the situation. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/desperate/#m1)

2) Wanting or needing something very much: «desperate for a drink». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/desperate/#m2)

3) Very serious or dangerous: «a desperate situation». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/desperate/#m3)

4) Done as a last try with little chance of success: «a desperate attempt». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/desperate/#m4)

5) (informal, UK) «Desperate for the loo» means needing the toilet very badly. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/desperate/#m5)

### sense in the lessons

In stories desperate characters take risks; a desperate search or desperate escape shows great danger. In everyday talk children say «I'm desperate for a drink» or «desperate to go» to mean they badly want something. Phrases: «desperate for», «desperate to», «desperate measures», «desperate times call for desperate measures», «in desperate need».

### examples

- The lost hikers were desperate for water. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/desperate/#x1)
- I'm desperate to see the new film. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/desperate/#x2)
- They made a desperate attempt to save the goal. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/desperate/#x3)
- The family was in desperate need of food and shelter. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/desperate/#x4)
- (informal) Stop the car, I'm desperate for the loo! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/desperate/#x5)
- Desperate times call for desperate measures. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/desperate/#x6)
- The kitten gave a desperate cry from the tree. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/desperate/#x7)
- Her case, on the contrary, looked more desperate than ever. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/desperate/#x8)

### note

Spelled desp-e-rate (not «desparate»). Adverb: «desperately»; noun: «desperation». In safety: if you feel desperate or very sad, tell a trusted adult or call a helpline.

### In the corpora

- [Do ye hold words to be an argument, but the speeches of one that is desperate to be wind?](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/JOB.144/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «desperate» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/desperate/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.