desperately — in a way that shows despair and urgent need; extremely or seriously
Part of speech: ADVERB
Definition: in a way that shows despair and urgent need; extremely or seriously
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈdespərətli/
Example Sentences
- Tom desperately searched for his phone after realizing he'd been texting his ex all night thinking it was his pizza delivery guy.
- She desperately wanted to finish her thesis before the deadline.
- The student desperately googled 'how to be smart in 5 minutes' before the exam.
desperately
ADVERB[/ˈdespərətli/]
in a way that shows despair and urgent need; extremely or seriously
He wasn't careless — he was desperate, and desperation makes people do things they never imagined.
At the DESK, PER night, he ATE nothing — desperate to finish before the deadline.
Desperate enough to separate — just to generate something new.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Latin 'desperatus', the past participle of 'desperare', meaning 'to lose hope' or 'to despair'. It combines 'de-' (completely, away) with 'sperare' (to hope), literally expressing the complete absence of hope.
Breakdown
de- (away, completely) + sperare (to hope) + -ate (adjective suffix) + -ly (adverb suffix indicating manner or condition).
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“Tom desperately searched for his phone after realizing he'd been texting his ex all night thinking it was his pizza delivery guy.”
“She desperately wanted to finish her thesis before the deadline.”
“The student desperately googled 'how to be smart in 5 minutes' before the exam.”
“He desperately tried to stay awake during the boring lecture.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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