desperate
     adj 1: 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"
            [syn: {despairing}]
     2: desperately determined; "do-or-die revolutionaries"; "a
        do-or-die conflict" [syn: {do-or-die(a)}]
     3: (of persons) dangerously reckless or violent as from urgency
        or despair; "a desperate criminal"; "taken hostage of
        desperate men"
     4: 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" [syn: {heroic}]
     5: showing extreme urgency or intensity especially because of
        great need or desire; "felt a desperate urge to confess";
        "a desperate need for recognition"
     6: 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" [syn: {dire}]
     n : a person who is frightened and in need of help; "they prey
         on the hopes of the desperate"
Source: WordNet® 2.0