Etymologically
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desperatus

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 14:48. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [deːs.peːˈraː.tʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [des.peˈraː.tus][1]

Forms

dēspērātus (feminine dēspērāta, neuter dēspērātum, comparative dēspērātior, superlative dēspērātissimus); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is the perfect passive participle of dēspērō “to despair”, from dē- and spērō “to hope”, used as an adjective.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Cicero, of what affords no hope.[2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant affording little hope, desperate, hopeless, as Cicero's dēspērātī morbī “hopeless diseases”, and in Nepos of persons in a desperate state or desperately ill.[2][5] In Cicero it also meant reckless from despair.[2]

It was borrowed into Italian as disperato and Spanish desperado, and English desperate came about 1400, first of persons, “despairing”.[1][3]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of hopeless diseases.[5][4]
  • c. 100–24 BC – Nepos uses it of persons in despair.[2][4]
  • c. 1400 – English desperate is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Hopeless, desperate; desperately ill.[2]
  2. Reckless from despair.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.