noun

desperado

des-puh-RAH-doh/ˌdespəˈrɑːdəʊ/

A bold, reckless outlaw or criminal.

The desperado rides away from the opened strongbox with stolen coins.

A reckless nineteenth-century frontier outlaw rides away from a simple opened strongbox with a sack of stolen coins, looking boldly back; no weapons fired, no victim, no ethnic costume stereotype.

Etymology

Desperate was itself a noun for a reckless criminal, with an underlying sense of lost hope. Desperado likewise shifted from a person in despair to a desperate or reckless person—the outlaw of the selected sense.

More examples

The desperado robs the bank in broad daylight.
Two desperadoes flee town with the stolen gold.
Even his fellow outlaws fear the young desperado.

Forms

desperado · desperadoes · desperados

Similar words

outlaw: Emphasizes living outside the law, not necessarily reckless boldness.
bandit: Specifically suggests a robber, often operating with a gang.
criminal: Covers anyone committing crimes, without implying boldness or recklessness.