desperate

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}]

2: desperately determined; "do-or-die revolutionaries"; "a

do-or-die conflict" [syn: {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: {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: {dire}]

n : a person who is frightened and in need of help; "they prey

on the hopes of the desperate"