desperately

Etymology

From desperate +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɛsp(ə)ɹətli/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: des‧per‧ate‧ly

Adverb

desperately (comparative more desperately, superlative most desperately)

1. In a desperate manner; without regard to danger or safety; recklessly.

   She desperately grabbed at the nearby branches as she heard the branch she was standing on start to snap.

   I could desperately do with some coffee right now.

   • 1999, “Stately Lover”, performed by Lacuna Coil:

     I just need you miserably
     Broken man come to me
     I just need you desperately
     Just want to change your mind

   • 2007 August 21, Jan Hoffman, “Soldiering On, Home to Home, in a Squeezed Health System”, in The New York Times‎:

     The patient, who lumbers painfully, has a question: She desperately wants a knee replacement, but doesn’t understand why three doctors have rejected her. Ms. Purdie translates doctorspeak.

2. extremely

   The race for silver medal was desperately close, they needed a photo finish to separate the runners.

   • 1991 February 11, Jeffery R. Nickel, “Going To The Chapel”, in Gay Community News, volume 18, number 29, page 9:

     They would be surprised to discover that we're all actually fighting for the same thing; that is, the sacredness of human love. The trouble is, they have almost every one of their facts totally and desperately wrong. Those who would lecture us on the "immorality" of our lives don't know the first thing about how we actually live them.