Origin: Latin suffix -ate
Desperate has 9 different meanings across 2 categories:
A person in desperate circumstances or who is at the point of desperation, such as a down-and-outer, addict, etc.
"The homeless man looked through the window with desperate eyes, searching for any scrap of food he could find to survive another night on the street."
In plain English: A desperate person is someone who acts out of extreme need when they have no other choices left to make.
"The desperate need for water was evident in everyone's parched throats."
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"
(of persons) dangerously reckless or violent as from urgency or despair
"a desperate criminal"
"taken hostage of desperate men"
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"
"they took heroic measures to save his life"
showing extreme urgency or intensity especially because of great need or desire
"felt a desperate urge to confess"
"a desperate need for recognition"
In dire need of something.
"After losing his wallet and phone, he was desperate to find a way home before nightfall."
In plain English: Desperate means feeling so worried about something that you are willing to do anything, even risky things, just to fix it or get what you want.
"She was desperate to find her lost keys before leaving for work."
Usage: Use desperate to describe someone acting with extreme urgency due to a critical lack of resources or hope, rather than simply being sad about their situation. Distinguish it from synonyms like hopeless, which implies no chance of success, whereas desperate emphasizes the intensity of the need driving immediate action.
Desperate comes from the Middle English word desperat(e), which was borrowed from the Latin dēspērātus. It originally meant "to be without hope," and this sense traveled directly into modern English.