How to pronounce desperate
Say it like DES-prit. Desperate has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (DES).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce desperate. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- DES
- prit
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Desperate pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DESSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- pritKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of desperate
American and British speakers say desperate in essentially the same way: /ˈdɛsprɪt/ in the US and /ˈdɛsprɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: DES-prit.
What does desperate mean?
- 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”
- 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”
- a person who is frightened and in need of help“they prey on the hopes of the desperate”
Where does desperate come from?
From Middle English desperat(e) (“desperate”), borrowed from Latin dēspērātus, perfect passive participle of dēspērō (“to be without hope”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying desperate
How do you pronounce desperate?
Say DES-prit. The American pronunciation is /ˈdɛsprɪt/. In British English it is /ˈdɛsprɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in desperate?
Desperate has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (DES). Broken into parts: DES · prit.
Do Americans and Brits say desperate the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈdɛsprɪt/ and the British form is /ˈdɛsprɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.