Dictionary

desperation en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌdɛspəˈɹeɪʃən/

Etymology

From Middle English desperacion, desperacioun, desperation, disparacion, disperacion, disperacioun, dispiracioune, dysperacioun, from Middle French desperation and its etymon Latin dēspērātiō, dēspērātiōnis. By surface analysis, desperate + -ion.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope.
   • in desperation
   • utter desperation
2. (countable, uncountable) A state of despair, or utter hopelessness; abandonment of hope.
   • The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. 1854 August 9, Henry D[avid] Thoreau, “Economy”, in Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC, page 10:
3. (countable, uncountable) Reckless fury.
   • "The PM’s private reassurances are worthless given her track record of u-turns and her clear desperation to cling to power." 2017 June 11, “DUP leader hails 'good progress' with Theresa May”, in The Scotsman, archived from the original on 10 Jul 2025:
4. (abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable) Ellipsis of bladder desperation.
   alt of bladder desperation

Forms

Deriveds

semidesperation · desperational

Synonyms

hopelessness · despond · desperation · despondency · unhope · despair · despondency · despair · wanhope

Translations (39)

ka სასოწარკვეთილება (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness) · es desesperación (the act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope) · la desperatio (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness) · he ייאוש (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness) · nb desperasjon (the act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope) · fi epätoivo (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness) · ga anbhá (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness) · bg безнаде́ждност (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness) · ro desperare (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness) · de Verzweiflung (the act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope) · ca desesperació (the act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope) · hi हताशा (the act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope) · tr umutsuzluk (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness) · ca desesperació (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness) · pt desesperação (the act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope) · bg отча́яние (the act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope) · de Verzweiflung (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness) · cmn 絕望 /绝望 (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness) · mi kiriwera (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness) · pt desespero (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness) · ru безнадёжность (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness) · da desperation (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness) · nn desperasjon (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness) · ja 絶望 (the act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope) · mi kirimate (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness) · es desesperación (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness) · nn desperasjon (the act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope) · gd èiginn (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness) · ru отча́яние (the act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope) · nb desperasjon (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness) · ka სასოწარკვეთილება (the act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope) · fi epätoivo (the act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope) · ro desperare (the act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope) · da desperation (the act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope) · vi sự tuyệt vọng (the act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope) · fr désespoir (the act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope) · la desperatio (the act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope) · cmn 絕望 /绝望 (the act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope) · sv desperation (a state of despair, or utter hopelessness)