Desperate - Definition

adj 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" [syn:
despairing, desperate]
2: desperately determined; "do-or-die revolutionaries"; "a do-
or-die conflict" [syn: desperate, do-or-die(a)]
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" [syn: desperate, heroic]
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" [syn: desperate, dire]
n 1: a person who is frightened and in need of help; "they prey
on the hopes of the desperate"