DES-prit
/ˈdɛspɹɪt/
Desperate is pronounced DES-prit (/ˈdɛspɹɪt/). Desperate is an adjective describing a strong, urgent need or желание to act, often amid danger or disappointment. It conveys a sense of extreme urgency, hopelessness, or willingness to take drastic measures. In use, it modifies nouns to express intense emotional or circumstantial pressure.
adjectiveDesperate is an adjective describing a strong, urgent need or желание to act, often amid danger or disappointment. It conveys a sense of extreme urgency, hopelessness, or willingness to take drastic measures. In use, it modifies nouns to express intense emotional or circumstantial pressure.
"The hikers were in a desperate situation when the storm rolled in."
"She made a desperate plea for help, hoping someone would hear her."
"In a desperate bid to catch the train, he ran the last few blocks."
Desperate is pronounced /ˈdɛspərət/ (US/UK/AU). The stress falls on the first syllable: DES-per-ate. Start with a clear 'd' sound, then a mid-open 'e' as in 'bed', followed by a lighter 'sp' cluster, then a mid schwa or 'ə' in the second syllable, and end with a crisp 't'. Tip: keep the second syllable unstressed and fairly reduced to 'ə'. Audio reference: you can compare with standard pronunciations on Cambridge or Forvo.
Common mistakes: (1) Misplacing emphasis, saying /ˈdɛs.pɜr.ɪt/ with wrong second syllable emphasis; (2) Overpronouncing the second syllable as /ˈdɛs.pəˌrɛt/ turning it into a three-beat word; (3) Merging the /sp/ cluster into /s/ or /z/ leading to /ˈdɛz.pər.ət/. Correction: keep stress on first syllable, articulate /sp/ firmly (not silently), pronounce the middle as /pə/ with a quick, light vowel, and end with /t/. Practice with minimal pairs to fix the /ə/ in the second syllable.
US: /ˈdɛspəˌrət/ with rhotacization limited to linking contexts; UK: /ˈdɛspərət/ similar but with slightly crisper final /t/ and less vowel reduction in the second syllable; AU: /ˈdɛspərət/ tends to be more monotone with less vowel reduction in casual speech. Across accents, the main differences are the vowel quality of the second syllable (often /ə/ or /ɜ˞/ in some British varieties) and the final consonant release. Listen for the subtle yod-like glue in British speech in connected form.
The difficulty lies in the unstressed second syllable: /spə/ contains a reduced vowel that can blur when speaking quickly. The /d/ and /sp/ cluster also requires precise tongue positioning to avoid mispronouncing as /dz/ or losing the /sp/. Additionally, the tense vowel in the first syllable must be accurately voiced, and the final /t/ needs a crisp release to avoid sounding like /d/ or /ɾ/. IPA cues: /ˈdɛspəˌrət/.
A key distinction for 'Desperate' is the separation of the two primary syllables after the initial stressed one: /ˈdɛs.pə.rət/ in careful speech, but many speakers merge the third and second vowels slightly in connected speech, sounding like /ˈdɛspərət/ with a reduced third syllable. Focus on keeping /p/ and /r/ distinct in the second-to-last syllable when speaking slowly and clearly, especially in careful or public contexts.
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Desperate comes from the Latin desperatus, past participle of desperare, meaning 'to be without hope' or 'to abandon all hope.' Desperatus itself derives from de- (without) + spercere (to hope, to trust). In Medieval Latin, desperare referred to being hopeless or in despair; by Old French it appeared as desperer, with similar senses. In English, desperate entered around the 14th–15th centuries with the sense of being beyond help or remedy, often in the context of danger or extreme need. Over time, the word broadened to describe actions influenced by urgent, risky, or hopeless motivation, as in desperate measures. The core semantic shift centers on the intensity of the motive: from hopelessness to acting under extreme urgency. Modern usage retains both emotional (despair, desperation) and behavioral senses (desperate attempt, desperate bid), frequently with a slightly negative connotation emphasizing risk or recklessness. First known use in English appears in medical and moral contexts, then shifting to general emotional adoration and intensity by the late medieval to early modern periods. Etymologically, the path reflects a persistent human theme: acting under perceived lack of alternatives.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Desperate" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Desperate" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Desperate"
-ive sounds
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