Being desperate is rotten (8)

I believe the answer is:

hopeless

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'being desperate' is the definition.
('hopeless' can be similar in meaning to 'desperate')

I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for hopeless that I've seen before include "Despairing or futile" , "Having no reason to expect success" , "Feeling despair; very bad" , "Unachievable" , "Feeling or causing despair" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

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