Definition of "desperate" []

• Having lost all hope; despairing. (adjective)
• Marked by, arising from, or showing despair: the desperate look of hunger; a desperate cry for help. (adjective)
• Reckless or violent because of despair: a desperate criminal. (adjective)
• Undertaken out of extreme urgency or as a last resort: a desperate attempt to save the family business. (adjective)
• Nearly hopeless; critical: a desperate illness; a desperate situation. (adjective)

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.

• "Bafyau appealed to them to refuse to be recruited by what he called desperate politicians."
• "So I've been -- I've been happy to be able to, you know, to pick the project that I choose and not have to make what I call desperate career choices."
• "Opposition MPs have assailed Harper for what they called a desperate ploy to cling to power despite the fact that proroguing Parliament would preclude any major spending at a time of economic crisis."