desperado

noun

des·​per·​a·​do ˌde-spə-ˈrä-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce desperado (audio)
-ˈrā-
plural desperadoes or desperados
: a bold or violent criminal
especially : a bandit of the western U.S. in the 19th century

Examples of desperado in a Sentence

the notorious desperados of the Wild West
Recent Examples on the Web The true story of the formerly enslaved man who became the first Black deputy U.S. marshal comes to life on Lawmen: Bass Reeves, an eight-episode series starring David Oyelowo as the storied gunslinger who arrested some 3,000 desperados without ever suffering a single wound. EW.com, 5 Nov. 2023 Actually, the two would-be desperadoes might have fared better going up against the late, great action star. Joe Leydon, Variety, 3 Aug. 2023 The series revival, based Elmore Leonard’s novel City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit, has Givens on a collision course with Clement Mansell — aka The Oklahoma Wildman — a desperado played by Boyd Holbrook, who’s already eluded a Motor City police task force on his heels. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 May 2023 The Oklahoma Wildman, a violent, sociopathic desperado who's already slipped through the fingers of Detroit's finest once and aims to do so again with the help of his formidable lawyer Carolyn Wilder (Aunjanue Ellis). Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 11 May 2023 The lore of Arizona includes everything from Native stories to supernatural occurrences to tales of desperados. Thomas France, The Arizona Republic, 3 Apr. 2023 Senior desperado is the look. James Parker, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2021 The premise, The Sandman) will portray Mansell, aka The Oklahoma Wildman, a violent, sociopathic desperado who’s already slipped through the fingers of Detroit’s finest once and aims to do so again. Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 May 2022 The film saddles up alongside Nat Love (Jonathan Majors), a desperado looking for vengeance after a traumatic childhood incident. Anika Reed, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'desperado.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably a pseudo-Spanish alteration of desperate "person in despair, person compelled by circumstances to commit violent acts," noun derivative of desperate

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of desperado was in 1647

Dictionary Entries Near desperado

Cite this Entry

“Desperado.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desperado. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

desperado

noun
des·​per·​a·​do ˌdes-pə-ˈräd-ō How to pronounce desperado (audio)
-ˈrād-
plural desperadoes or desperados
: a bold or reckless criminal

More from Merriam-Webster on desperado

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