Adjective
1. arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope;
"a despairing view of the world situation""the last despairing plea of the condemned criminal""a desperate cry for help""helpless and desperate--as if at the end of his tether""her desperate screams"2. desperately determined;
"do-or-die revolutionaries""a do-or-die conflict"3. (of persons) dangerously reckless or violent as from urgency or despair;
"a desperate criminal""taken hostage of desperate men"4. showing extreme courage; especially of actions courageously undertaken in desperation as a last resort;
"made a last desperate attempt to reach the climber""the desperate gallantry of our naval task forces marked the turning point in the Pacific war"- G.C.Marshall"they took heroic measures to save his life"5. showing extreme urgency or intensity especially because of great need or desire;
"felt a desperate urge to confess""a desperate need for recognition"6. fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless;
"a desperate illness""on all fronts the Allies were in a desperate situation due to lack of materiel"- G.C.Marshall"a dire emergency"