desperate

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”

desperately determined

• “do-or-die revolutionaries”
• “a do-or-die conflict”

(of persons) dangerously reckless or violent as from urgency or despair

• “a desperate criminal”
• “taken hostage of desperate men”

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”

showing extreme urgency or intensity especially because of great need or desire

• “felt a desperate urge to confess”
• “a desperate need for recognition”

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”

a person who is frightened and in need of help

• “they prey on the hopes of the desperate”