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Definition of "desperado" [des•per•a•do]

  • A bold or desperate outlaw, especially of the American frontier. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "desperado" in a sentence
  • "You have information as to the arrival of a man known as a desperado with a grudge against the two dead men, yet you know of no steps to take."
  • "On the other hand, his evil repute has been wildly exaggerated by careless journalists and their local informants, who seek to embellish their limited acquaintance with a "desperado"; with the result that the real man has been virtually entombed by tale and legend which since his death has petrified as myth."
  • "If LTC Shaffer such a "desperado," why did he get a security clearance in the first place and why did it keep getting renewed?"