desperation

B2 Topic:Emotions & Feelings

US /ˌdɛspəˈɹeɪʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #11171

Meanings

1

noun
A feeling of having no hope that makes you ready to do anything.

In desperation, she called every hospital in the city.
2

noun
Reckless behaviour caused by having no hope left.

It was an act of pure desperation.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a feeling of having no hope... despair hopelessness

Word family

Derived forms semidesperation

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.

desperation Middle French dēspērātiō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Emotions & Feelings

External links

# desperation

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌdɛspəˈɹeɪʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 11171

## Meanings
1. A feeling of having no hope that makes you ready to do anything.
2. Reckless behaviour caused by having no hope left.

## Examples
- In desperation, she called every hospital in the city.
- It was an act of pure desperation.

## Derived Forms
- semidesperation

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: desperation
- Root: dēspērātiō

## 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.

## AI Etymology
desperation comes 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. The historical chain includes Middle French desperation, Latin dēspērātiō. Current senses include A feeling of having no hope that makes you ready to do anything and Reckless behaviour caused by having no hope left. English relatives and later formations include semidesperation.

## Topics
- Emotions & Feelings

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