desperate measure vs means

desperate measure and means both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
desperate measure	Yes	No	No	No
means	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, means is a hypernym of desperate measure; that is, means is a word with a broader meaning than desperate measure:

Other hypernyms of desperate measure include agency, way.

desperate measure (noun)	means (noun)
desperate actions taken as a means to an end	to have the ability to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
	an artifact (that is instrumental in accomplishing some end) for accomplishing some end
	considerable capital (wealth or income)