What part of speech is desperate?

"Desperate" can be several parts of speech depending on how it's used in a sentence:

* Adjective: Describing a noun. "He was desperate for help."

* Noun: Referring to a state of desperation. "His desperate was evident in his trembling hands."

* Adverb: Modifying a verb, adjective, or another adverb. "They fought desperately against the odds."

The most common usage is as an adjective, but it can also act as a noun or adverb depending on the context.