desolate 1 of 2

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as in lonely
sad from lack of companionship or separation from others he was less desolate after adopting a rescue dog

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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desolate

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective desolate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of desolate are bleak, cheerless, dismal, dreary, and gloomy. While all these words mean "devoid of cheer or comfort," desolate adds an element of utter remoteness or lack of human contact to any already disheartening aspect.

a desolate outpost

Where would bleak be a reasonable alternative to desolate?

The words bleak and desolate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bleak suggests chill, dull, and barren characteristics that utterly dishearten.

the bleak years of the depression

When is cheerless a more appropriate choice than desolate?

The words cheerless and desolate can be used in similar contexts, but cheerless stresses absence of anything cheering.

a drab and cheerless office

When might dismal be a better fit than desolate?

In some situations, the words dismal and desolate are roughly equivalent. However, dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess.

dismal weather

When could dreary be used to replace desolate?

Although the words dreary and desolate have much in common, dreary, often interchangeable with dismal, emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility.

a dreary job

When is it sensible to use gloomy instead of desolate?

The meanings of gloomy and desolate largely overlap; however, gloomy often suggests lack of hope or promise.

gloomy war news

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of desolate
Adjective
The third vertex is desolate Maher Island, off the coast of Antarctica. Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 11 Oct. 2024 That means one mile of desolate country road is allotted the same maintenance money as an eight-lane interchange. Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Oct. 2024
Verb
Although the terrain is arid and desolate now, around 10,000 years ago this was a lagoon near Lake Turkana, surrounded by lush vegetation. Hillary Waterman, Discover Magazine, 2 Jan. 2019 In the past few weeks, the moviegoing landscape has taken a drastic turn from dreary to downright desolate. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 30 Aug. 2022 See all Example Sentences for desolate 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolate
Adjective
  • Some recipients responded to the texts with anger and others with a sense of humor, but many agree that the messages seem to be a bleak foreshadowing.
    Char Adams, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
  • The stock's fate hinges on the 2024 presidential election results, with potential appreciation if Trump wins, but a bleak outlook if Kamala Harris prevails.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • As a lonely nerd in a suburb, there was something about the way that there were pop-cultural objects, at the last possible time when there was analog technology, that really wove into the fabric of your soul.
    Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
  • But breaking that ground was an often lonely endeavor for a Black artist in mid-century Hollywood.
    August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The result is a barren playa, wide swaths of sand and earth.
    Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 28 Oct. 2024
  • In his latest novel, Annihilation, his protagonists wander through that barren world, disoriented, looking vainly for an exit.
    Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Lobby group Family Business UK said tens of thousands of family-run businesses and farms will be ruined by this change due to lower levels of inheritance tax relief.
    Marc Shoffman, theweek, 6 Nov. 2024
  • The ground floors of thousands of homes have been ruined.
    Hernán Muñoz and Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Black eyes, dark hair, Han is blocking the exit, standing with his hands on his hips, like a big fat X.
    Suzanne Seggerman, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024
  • Sean getting beaten up at the end of the last episode was a dark moment, but Shrinking never lets a story stay serious for very long.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • McQueen spends half an hour dispassionately showing us the grimness of HMP Maze, a Troubles-era warehouse for enemies of the British state on a disused airfield.
    IndieWire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024
  • In his first five night-shift stints as watchman at a disused ’80s amusement park/arcade mall — Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza Place — Mike stares glaze-eyed at security monitors, then drifts into violent 3-D incidents, His circumstance incarnates the hell that Morrissey sings about.
    Armond White, National Review, 1 Nov. 2023
Adjective
  • Unfortunately, in recent years, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) has embraced and promoted an impoverished worldview regarding gender and sexuality.
    Enquirer staff, The Enquirer, 29 Oct. 2024
  • On an international level, too..., one country’s climate response can easily leave another country impoverished, either through neglect, foolishness or outright malevolence.
    Saima S. Iqbal, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Approximately 40 firefighters responded to the blaze, which was first reported at 11:43 a.m., destroyed one building, damaged at least three others, and downed utility wires along 17th Street.
    Ryan Macasero, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
  • The fire destroyed an apartment building near Ammons Street and West 12th Avenue, killing two cats and displacing four people, according to West Metro Fire Rescue.
    Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2024

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Thesaurus Entries Near desolate

Cite this Entry

“Desolate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolate. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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