"desperado" meaning in English

See desperado in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /dɛspəˈɹɑːdəʊ/ [UK] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-desperado.wav Forms: desperadoes [plural], desperados [plural]
Etymology: From obsolete Spanish desperado, past participle of desperar, archaic form of desesperar (“to despair”), from Latin disperare (“to despair, to lose hope”), from prefix dis- + sperare (“to hope”). Doublet of desperate. Etymology templates: {{der|en|es|desperado}} Spanish desperado, {{der|en|la|disperare||to despair, to lose hope}} Latin disperare (“to despair, to lose hope”), {{doublet|en|desperate}} Doublet of desperate Head templates: {{en-noun|desperadoes|s}} desperado (plural desperadoes or desperados)
  1. A bold outlaw, especially one from southern portions of the Wild West. Categories (topical): Crime, People Translations (bold outlaw): разбойник (razbojnik) (Bulgarian), desperado [common-gender] (Danish), desperado (Finnish), desperado [masculine] (French), ра́збојник (rázbojnik) [masculine] (Macedonian), desperado [masculine] (Spanish), desperado [common-gender] (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-desperado-en-noun-qMV8My89 Disambiguation of Crime: 76 8 10 6 Disambiguation of People: 49 9 33 8 Categories (other): Pages with 7 entries, Terms with Macedonian translations, Terms with Swedish translations Disambiguation of Pages with 7 entries: 3 3 3 1 2 3 30 13 4 31 2 3 Disambiguation of Terms with Macedonian translations: 25 24 24 27 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 45 11 9 35 Disambiguation of 'bold outlaw': 78 8 10 3
  2. (colloquial) A person in desperate circumstances or who is at the point of desperation, such as a down-and-outer, an addict, etc. Tags: colloquial
    Sense id: en-desperado-en-noun-kPr0i1cN Categories (other): Pages with 7 entries, Terms with Macedonian translations Disambiguation of Pages with 7 entries: 3 3 3 1 2 3 30 13 4 31 2 3 Disambiguation of Terms with Macedonian translations: 25 24 24 27
  3. (colloquial) A person who is desperately in love or is desperate for a romantic or sexual relationship. Tags: colloquial
    Sense id: en-desperado-en-noun-g5ECXmBg Categories (other): Terms with Macedonian translations Disambiguation of Terms with Macedonian translations: 25 24 24 27
  4. (chess) A piece that seems determined to give itself up, typically to bring about stalemate or perpetual check. Categories (topical): Chess
    Sense id: en-desperado-en-noun-xVcoRdvZ Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 7 entries, Pages with entries, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Danish translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Macedonian translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 26 22 5 48 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 16 11 2 71 Disambiguation of Pages with 7 entries: 3 3 3 1 2 3 30 13 4 31 2 3 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 2 2 2 1 1 2 29 15 3 38 1 2 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 31 15 12 42 Disambiguation of Terms with Danish translations: 34 10 7 50 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 30 12 11 46 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 22 15 4 59 Disambiguation of Terms with Macedonian translations: 25 24 24 27 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 19 15 2 64 Topics: board-games, chess, games
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: desperadoism

Inflected forms

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      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "desperadoism"
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  "etymology_templates": [
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
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      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
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        "2": "la",
        "3": "disperare",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to despair, to lose hope"
      },
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      "name": "der"
    },
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      "args": {
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        "2": "desperate"
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      "expansion": "Doublet of desperate",
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    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From obsolete Spanish desperado, past participle of desperar, archaic form of desesperar (“to despair”), from Latin disperare (“to despair, to lose hope”), from prefix dis- + sperare (“to hope”). Doublet of desperate.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "desperadoes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
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        "plural"
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      "args": {
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
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        {
          "_dis": "3 3 3 1 2 3 30 13 4 31 2 3",
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          "ref": "1850, Thomas Carlyle, “The present time”, in Latter-Day Pamphlets:",
          "text": "The kind of persons who excite or give signal to such revolutions — students, young men of letters […], or fierce and justly bankrupt desperadoes, acting everywhere on the discontent of the millions and blowing it into flame, — might give rise to reflections as to the character of our epoch.",
          "type": "quote"
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          "ref": "1918, Willa Cather, My Antonia, paperback edition, Mirado Modern Classics, page 6:",
          "text": "Surely this was the face of a desperado.",
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          "_dis1": "78 8 10 3",
          "code": "bg",
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          "_dis1": "78 8 10 3",
          "code": "da",
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          "sense": "bold outlaw",
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          "word": "desperado"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "78 8 10 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "bold outlaw",
          "word": "desperado"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "78 8 10 3",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "bold outlaw",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "desperado"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "78 8 10 3",
          "code": "mk",
          "lang": "Macedonian",
          "roman": "rázbojnik",
          "sense": "bold outlaw",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ра́збојник"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "78 8 10 3",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "bold outlaw",
          "tags": [
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        },
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          "_dis1": "78 8 10 3",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "bold outlaw",
          "tags": [
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          "word": "desperado"
        }
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          "_dis": "25 24 24 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Macedonian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
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          "ref": "1981, Sam Grafstein, Dice Doctor:",
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          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person in desperate circumstances or who is at the point of desperation, such as a down-and-outer, an addict, etc."
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      "id": "en-desperado-en-noun-kPr0i1cN",
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        "(colloquial) A person in desperate circumstances or who is at the point of desperation, such as a down-and-outer, an addict, etc."
      ],
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      ]
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        "(colloquial) A person who is desperately in love or is desperate for a romantic or sexual relationship."
      ],
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        "colloquial"
      ]
    },
    {
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          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Chess",
          "orig": "en:Chess",
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            "Tabletop games",
            "Games",
            "Recreation",
            "Human activity",
            "Human behaviour",
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            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
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          "kind": "other",
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          "_dis": "2 2 2 1 1 2 29 15 3 38 1 2",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
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        {
          "_dis": "31 15 12 42",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 10 7 50",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Danish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
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        {
          "_dis": "30 12 11 46",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
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        {
          "_dis": "22 15 4 59",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
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          "_dis": "25 24 24 27",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
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          "_dis": "19 15 2 64",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A piece that seems determined to give itself up, typically to bring about stalemate or perpetual check."
      ],
      "id": "en-desperado-en-noun-xVcoRdvZ",
      "links": [
        [
          "chess",
          "chess"
        ],
        [
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          "piece"
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          "stalemate"
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        [
          "perpetual",
          "perpetual"
        ],
        [
          "check",
          "check"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chess) A piece that seems determined to give itself up, typically to bring about stalemate or perpetual check."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "board-games",
        "chess",
        "games"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
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      "ipa": "/dɛspəˈɹɑːdəʊ/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-desperado.wav",
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    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
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}
{
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    "English entries with incorrect language header",
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    "English nouns",
    "English nouns with irregular plurals",
    "English terms derived from Latin",
    "English terms derived from Spanish",
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    "Pages with 7 entries",
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    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Danish translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Macedonian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "en:Crime",
    "en:People"
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  "derived": [
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      "word": "desperadoism"
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  "etymology_templates": [
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        "1": "en",
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        "3": "desperado"
      },
      "expansion": "Spanish desperado",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
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        "3": "disperare",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to despair, to lose hope"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin disperare (“to despair, to lose hope”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
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        "2": "desperate"
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      "expansion": "Doublet of desperate",
      "name": "doublet"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From obsolete Spanish desperado, past participle of desperar, archaic form of desesperar (“to despair”), from Latin disperare (“to despair, to lose hope”), from prefix dis- + sperare (“to hope”). Doublet of desperate.",
  "forms": [
    {
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
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        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1850, Thomas Carlyle, “The present time”, in Latter-Day Pamphlets:",
          "text": "The kind of persons who excite or give signal to such revolutions — students, young men of letters […], or fierce and justly bankrupt desperadoes, acting everywhere on the discontent of the millions and blowing it into flame, — might give rise to reflections as to the character of our epoch.",
          "type": "quote"
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        "A bold outlaw, especially one from southern portions of the Wild West."
      ],
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          "outlaw"
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        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
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          "ref": "1981, Sam Grafstein, Dice Doctor:",
          "text": "The shortstops and desperados were not permitted to play in this marker crap game.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person in desperate circumstances or who is at the point of desperation, such as a down-and-outer, an addict, etc."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "down-and-outer",
          "down-and-outer"
        ],
        [
          "addict",
          "addict"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(colloquial) A person in desperate circumstances or who is at the point of desperation, such as a down-and-outer, an addict, etc."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English colloquialisms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person who is desperately in love or is desperate for a romantic or sexual relationship."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "in love",
          "in love"
        ],
        [
          "romantic",
          "romantic"
        ],
        [
          "sexual",
          "sexual"
        ],
        [
          "relationship",
          "relationship"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(colloquial) A person who is desperately in love or is desperate for a romantic or sexual relationship."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Chess"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A piece that seems determined to give itself up, typically to bring about stalemate or perpetual check."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "chess",
          "chess"
        ],
        [
          "piece",
          "piece"
        ],
        [
          "stalemate",
          "stalemate"
        ],
        [
          "perpetual",
          "perpetual"
        ],
        [
          "check",
          "check"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chess) A piece that seems determined to give itself up, typically to bring about stalemate or perpetual check."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "board-games",
        "chess",
        "games"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
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      "ipa": "/dɛspəˈɹɑːdəʊ/",
      "tags": [
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      ]
    },
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    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "razbojnik",
      "sense": "bold outlaw",
      "word": "разбойник"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "bold outlaw",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "desperado"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "bold outlaw",
      "word": "desperado"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "bold outlaw",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "desperado"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "roman": "rázbojnik",
      "sense": "bold outlaw",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ра́збојник"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "bold outlaw",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "desperado"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "bold outlaw",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "desperado"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "desperado"
  ],
  "word": "desperado"
}

Download raw JSONL data for desperado meaning in English (5.1kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-03-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-02-21 using wiktextract (7c21d10 and f2e72e5). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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