desesperado
adjectiveCEFR B2
What does “desesperado” mean in English?
desperate — in a state of extreme hopelessness or acting from extreme urgency
desperate — in a state of extreme hopelessness or acting from extreme urgency (estar desesperado; un intento desesperado)
Example sentences
Las familias afectadas por el incendio lanzaron un desesperado llamamiento pidiendo apoyo material y psicológico.
The families affected by the fire launched a desperate appeal for material and psychological support.
Estaban completamente desesperados después de tres días sin noticias de los servicios de rescate.
They were completely desperate after three days without news from the rescue services.
En un intento desesperado de salvar la empresa, el director recurrió a los ahorros personales de toda su familia.
In a desperate attempt to save the company, the director turned to his entire family's personal savings.
How to use it
Desesperado/a means 'desperate' — in a state of extreme hopelessness or acting out of extreme urgency. Ser vs estar: 'estar desesperado' = to be desperate right now (emotional state); 'ser un acto desesperado' = the action is desperate by its very nature (classification). Key collocations: una situación desesperada (a desperate situation), un intento desesperado (a desperate attempt), llamar desesperadamente. Related noun: desesperación (despair). Distinguish from desesperanzado (without hope — deeper, more permanent despair).
Common mistake
Desesperado (desperate — at the limit, no options left) vs desesperanzado (hopeless — has given up hope, deeper than desperate). Desesperado describes an acute state or a characterisation of an act; desesperanzado is more about chronic loss of hope. Estar desesperado is a state — ser desesperado as a character description is unusual (it would mean 'a person who is characteristically in despair', which is rare in practice).