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DictionaryRoot: de-
Latin

de-

down, away; removal

Forms

  • de-
  • dé- — French spelling in words borrowed from French.

Origin

Latin de, ‘down from; away from’; its deeper ancestry is uncertain.

Note

The prefix can also strengthen an action without suggesting downward movement.

152 / 205
A stranded hiker urgently stretches both arms toward a rescue boat approaching a small exposed river rock as water rises.
adjective

desperate

DES-puh-rut/ˈdespərət/

Driven by overwhelming need or a loss of hope.

Etymology
deLatindown, away; removal
+sperLatinto hope
+ateLatinhaving or having undergone something

The pieces express being without hope. Applied to people, this developed from hopelessness into being driven by despair to disregard safety or consequences—the urgency felt when no good options seem left.

Full entry

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