Desperately | Definition of desperately by Merriam-Webster

Definition of DESPERATELY

1

: in a desperate manner <struggling desperately>

2

: extremely, terribly <desperately tired> <desperately important>

circa 1547

Synonyms: achingly, almighty, archly, awful, awfully, badly, beastly, blisteringly, bone, colossally, corking, cracking, damn, damned, dang, deadly, very, eminently, enormously, especially, ever, exceedingly (also exceeding), extra, extremely, fabulously, fantastically, far, fiercely, filthy, frightfully, full, greatly, heavily, highly, hugely, immensely, incredibly, intensely, jolly, majorly, mightily, mighty, monstrous [chiefly dialect], mortally, most, much, particularly, passing, rattling, real, really, right, roaring, roaringly, seriously, severely, so, sore, sorely, spanking, specially, stinking, such, super, supremely, surpassingly, terribly, that, thumping, too, unco, uncommonly, vastly, vitally, way, whacking, wicked, wildly

1

: in a way showing great worry and weakening hope <They desperately called for help.>

2

: in such a way as to leave little hope <He became desperately ill.>

3

: with great intensity <… I wished desperately that I knew where my mama was … — Kate DiCamillo, Because of Winn-Dixie>

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