The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - desperate adj.

1) reckless, foolhardy, rash, impetuous, frantic, frenzied, panic-stricken: Desperate measures are required in such a desperate situation. 2) careless, hasty, devil-may-care, wild, mad, frenetic, furious: They made a last desperate attack on the fort. 3) anxious (for) , craving, hungry (for) , thirsty (for) , needful (of) , desirous (of) , covetous (of) , eager (for) , longing or yearning (for) , wishing (for) , hoping (for) , aching (for) , pining (for) : She is desperate for attention. 4) urgent, pressing, compelling, serious, grave, acute, critical, crucial, great: There is a desperate need for medicines at the disaster site. 5) precarious, perilous, life-threatening, hazardous, dangerous, tenuous, hopeless, beyond hope or help: Avalanches are making the climbers' situation even more desperate. 6) at one's wits' end, forlorn, despairing, despondent, wretched, at the end of one's tether, frantic: With no one to turn to for help, he was truly desperate.