1. Home
2. Idioms
3. desperate

desperate

---

---

desperate measures

Extreme and undesirable actions taken as a solution to a problem that cannot be resolved by ordinary means. With his job gone and debt mounting, John was forced to take desperate measures to keep his home.

See also: desperate, measure

desperate times call for desperate measures

Extreme and undesirable circumstances or situations can only be resolved by resorting to equally extreme actions. Derived from the proverb, "Desperate diseases must have desperate remedies." I know that the austerity measures introduced by the government during the recession are unpopular, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

See also: call, desperate, measure, times

desperate times require desperate measures

Extreme and undesirable circumstances or situations can only be resolved by resorting to equally extreme actions. Derived from the proverb, "Desperate diseases must have desperate remedies." I know that the austerity measures introduced by the government during the recession are unpopular, but desperate times require desperate measures.

See also: desperate, measure, require, times

Desperate diseases must have desperate remedies.

Prov. If you have a seemingly insurmountable problem, you must do things you ordinarily would not do in order to solve it. Fred: All my employees have been surly and morose for months. How can I improve their morale? Alan: Why not give everyone a raise? Fred: That's a pretty extreme suggestion. Alan: Yes, but desperate diseases must have desperate remedies.

See also: desperate, disease, have, must, remedy