# desperation

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌdɛspəˈɹeɪʃən/ · frequency rank #13,900

## Definitions
1. The act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope.
2. A state of despair, or utter hopelessness; abandonment of hope.
3. Reckless fury.
4. Ellipsis of bladder desperation.

## Etymology
From Middle English desperacion, desperacioun, desperation, disparacion, disperacion, disperacioun, dispiracioune, dysperacioun, from Middle French desperation and its etymon Latin dēspērātiō, dēspērātiōnis. By surface analysis, desperate + -ion.

## Easily confused with
- **desertion** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desertion-vs-desperation)
- **desecration** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/desecration-vs-desperation)

## Common misspellings (17)
`ddesperation`, `depseration`, `desepration`, `despeartion`, `desperaiton`, `desperasion`, `desperatino`, `desperationn`, `desperatoin`, `desperattion`, `desperration`, `despertaion`, `despperation`, `despreation`, `dessperation`, `dseperation`, `edsperation`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/desperation