Adjacent Words

Desperado definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

DESPERADO, n. A desperate fellow; a furious man; a madman; a person urged by furious passions; one fearless, or regardless of safety.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a bold outlaw (especially on the American frontier) [syn: desperado, desperate criminal]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural -does or -dos) Etymology: probably alteration of obsolete desperate desperado, from desperate, adjective Date: 1647 a bold or violent criminal; especially a bandit of the western United States in the 19th century

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. -oes or US -os) a desperate or reckless person, esp. a criminal. Etymology: after DESPERATE (obs. n.) & words in -ADO

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Desperado Des`per*a"do, n.; pl. Desperadoes. [OSp. desperado, p. p. of desperar, fr. L. desperare. See Desperate.] A reckless, furious man; a person urged by furious passions, and regardless of consequence; a wild ruffian.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(desperadoes, or desperados) A desperado is someone who does illegal, violent things without worrying about the danger. (OLD-FASHIONED) N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Dare-devil, desperate fellow, reckless man, ruffian.

Moby Thesaurus

Cain, Judas, apache, assassin, assassinator, badman, bandit, betrayer, bloodletter, bloodshedder, bravo, bucko, bully, bullyboy, burker, butcher, button man, cannibal, convict, criminal, crook, cutthroat, deceiver, desperate criminal, devil, double-dealer, eradicator, executioner, exterminator, felon, fugitive, gallows bird, gangster, gaolbird, garroter, gorilla, gun, gunman, gunsel, hatchet man, head-hunter, hell-raiser, hellcat, hit man, homicidal maniac, homicide, jailbird, killer, lawbreaker, mad dog, man-eater, man-killer, manslayer, massacrer, matador, mobster, murderer, outlaw, pesticide, poison, poisoner, public enemy, quisling, racketeer, rough, rowdy, ruffian, scofflaw, slaughterer, slayer, strangler, swindler, thief, thug, torpedo, traitor, trigger man, two-timer