desperately, adv.
(ˈdɛspərətlɪ)
[f. desperate a. + -ly2.]
In a desperate manner. (See the adj.)
† 1. In despair, despairingly. Obs.
| 1552 Huloet, Desperately, desperanter, insolabiliter. 1555 Eden Decades 53 They had desperatly consecrated them selues to death. 1605 Shakes. Lear v. iii. 292 Your eldest Daughters haue fore-done themselues, And desperately are dead. 1615 G. Sandys Trav. 45 Taken at length by Tamberlaine..hee desperately brained himselfe. 1634 Canne Necess. Separ. (1849) 133 All these died desperately. |
† 2. In a desperate condition, wretchedly. rare.
| 1630 R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. 233 The descendants of them, that have..beene condemned by the Inquisition..live in Spaine most desperately. |
3. Hopelessly, irretrievably, incurably.
| 1570–6 Lambarde Peramb. Kent (1826) 171 A young Child..lay desperately sicke in a cradle. 1611 Bible Jer. xvii. 9 The heart is deceitfull aboue all things, and desperately wicked [R.V. desperately sick]. 1683 Burnet tr. More's Utopia (1684) 187 The excluding of Men that are desperately wicked from joining in their Worship. 1766 Goldsm. Vic. W. xxviii, I wounded one who first assaulted me, and I fear desperately. a 1808 Hurd Wks. VI. xvi. (R.) No man becomes at once desperately and irretrievably wicked. |
4. Recklessly; with utter disregard of risks or consequences, or of how far one goes; with extreme energy or violence: cf. desperate a. 4, 5.
| a 1547 Surrey æneid ii. (R.), Whom when I saw..So desperately the battail to desire. 1632 Lithgow Trav. iii. 130 Foure French Runnagats..hearing these words, fell desperatly upon me. Ibid. v. 188, 20 gallies..desperatly adventured to tow her away against the wind. 1724 De Foe Mem. Cavalier (1840) 179 The foot on both sides were desperately engaged. 1885 Manch. Even. News 23 June 2/2 The..seats for which they have fought so desperately. |
5. To a desperate degree; extremely, excessively. (Cf. desperate a. 7.) Chiefly colloq.
| 1653 H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. lxviii. 277 She was desperately in love with him. 1697 Collier Ess. Mor. Subj. ii. (1709) 136 He looks so desperately Pale and Thin. 1709 Strype Ann. Ref. I. xiii. 183 They were desperately afraid the people should have too much knowledge. 1843 Foster in Life & Corr. (1846) II. 463 How desperately rapid the flight of time. 1872 Black Adv. Phaeton xxxi. 418 She pretends to be desperately concerned about the horses. |