Save Gender Feminine Usage Popular Culture Pronounced Pron. [d̪e.sãm.pa.ˈɾa.ð̞a] [key·simplify] Meaning & History Means "forsaken, helpless" in Spanish, in effect an altered form of Desamparados. The compound name María Desamparada was used for a character on the Mexican telenovela Triunfo del amor (2010-2011).