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desesperada

deh-sehs-peh-RAH-dah/desespeˈɾaða/

desperate

Also: frantic, hopeless
A storybook illustration of a figure kneeling on dry, cracked ground, urgently reaching their empty hands toward a distant, unseen object, symbolizing desperation and urgent need.

📝 In Action

Estaba tan desesperada que llamó a todos sus contactos.

B1

She was so desperate that she called all her contacts.

La situación económica es desesperada para muchas familias.

B2

The economic situation is desperate for many families.

Su mirada era desesperada, pidiendo ayuda en silencio.

B1

Her gaze was desperate, silently asking for help.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • angustiada (distressed)
  • afligida (afflicted)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • una medida desesperada – a desperate measure
  • estar desesperada por – to be desperate for

desperate woman

Also: distraught person
NounfB2
A storybook illustration of a lone woman standing with her hands tightly clenched and a visibly distraught facial expression, embodying the state of desperation.

📝 In Action

La policía intentó calmar a la desesperada antes de que saltara.

B2

The police tried to calm the desperate woman before she jumped.

El noticiero describió a la ladrona como una desesperada sin recursos.

C1

The news described the thief as a desperate person without resources.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • afligida (afflicted person)

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "desesperada" in Spanish:

desperate woman→distraught person→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: desesperada

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'desesperada' in agreement?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
desesperado(desperate (masculine)) — Adjective
desesperar(to despair) — Verb
desesperación(desperation) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
cansadacallada
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes from the Latin verb *dēspērāre*, meaning 'to despair' or 'to lose hope.' It's formed by combining the prefix *de-* (meaning 'away from' or 'down') and *spēs* (meaning 'hope'). So, 'desesperada' literally means someone who has been taken 'away from hope.'

First recorded: Medieval Spanish

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: disperataFrench: désespérée

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'desesperada' and 'desesperado'?

They mean the exact same thing ('desperate'), but 'desesperada' is used when describing a feminine person or thing (like 'la mujer' or 'la situación'), while 'desesperado' is used for masculine words (like 'el hombre' or 'el intento').