as in extremely
to a great degree
all of a sudden everything went desperately wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Those who weren’t so lucky desperately tried to steal the entry wristbands off of anyone whom the DHS picked.
—
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026
Navigating the path together Every family with a rare disease diagnosis has to navigate a complex path — trying to provide the best care possible for your child on a day-to-day basis, while also seeking desperately for a cure or a therapy to try and improve their long-term diagnosis.
—Becky Quick, CNBC, 8 Jan. 2026
However, the Rockies desperately need depth in their rotation, so Lorenzen will compete for a starting job in 2026.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 8 Jan. 2026
The Dallas Mavericks desperately needed a successor as the face of their franchise since Dirk Nowitzki was in the twilight of his career.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for desperately
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desperately
Adverb
-
The first indicator is oftentimes a lack of water flow from faucets when the weather is extremely cold.—
-
Skeeter, 36, serves as the Hornets’ player development coach and is also the primary person who works extremely closely with star guard LaMelo Ball.—
Adverb
-
The data center industry does not have a terribly good answer for this, except that their 83° sun-synchronous orbit is much less crowded than equatorial ones, meaning a lower risk of collisions.—
-
Polls, however, suggest the bill is not terribly popular with voters, which has left Republicans saying the White House must do a better job of selling it.—
Adverb
-
How do the Chiefs fall behind that badly in any passing statistic when Patrick Mahomes is the quarterback throwing the football?—
-
The area was badly burned, but still Simpson noticed green sprouts peeking out of the ashy soil and from the branches of trees that the average passerby might assume were dead.—
Adverb
-
The pork was incredibly tender and juicy, with a bold but balanced mix of spices that didn’t overpower each other.—
-
These kind of creative environments are so incredibly inspiring to me.—
Adverb
-
The senior administration official said the transfer would happen quickly because Venezuela’s crude is very heavy, which means it can’t be stored for long.—
-
Pipes and sewers can be very dangerous for pets and wildlife and Roto-Rooter, with specialized equipment and personnel, has become a go-to call to save cats, dogs, turtles and more.—
Adverb
-
With the offices too small for his liking, Vince converted the executive conference room into his personal suite.—
-
Her lips shine, too, with an ombré look in tawny brown hues, an effect created by makeup artist Bella Mayven with Charlotte Tilbury's Lip Cheat pencil in Foxy Brown and Big Lip Plumpgasm gloss in Nudegasm Diamonds.—
Adverb
-
Of all my books, Helm has been so hard and so lovingly written.—
-
Every so often, the dead monarchs and their court sashay out of the past to offer unsubtle commentary.—
Adverb
-
So there's really no choice but for the four major conference commissioners to compile a set of rules and guidelines that make at least a marginal bit of sense.—
-
So getting through that year was really difficult.—
Cite this Entry
“Desperately.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desperately. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share