1
as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern
a desultory search for something of interest on TV
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2
as in rambling
passing from one topic to another
a desultory discussion about the news of the day
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Recent Examples of desultory
Freddie Freeman provided the thunder in Dodger Stadium on Friday night, lining a grand slam into the right-field bullpen in the eighth inning to turn what looked like a desultory loss to the Boston Red Sox into a dramatic 4-1 victory in front of a crowd of 51,562.
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Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2024
Meanwhile, the Cougars lost their head coach, Kyle Smith, to Stanford; the Beavers are fresh off another desultory season; and both programs were battered by attrition, with their best players entering the transfer portal.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 27 June 2024
What can seem desultory to the point of randomness is actually quite purposeful.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2024
Lippmann never gave more than a desultory response.
—Annalee Newitz, Scientific American, 24 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for desultory 
Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2024
Meanwhile, the Cougars lost their head coach, Kyle Smith, to Stanford; the Beavers are fresh off another desultory season; and both programs were battered by attrition, with their best players entering the transfer portal.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 27 June 2024
What can seem desultory to the point of randomness is actually quite purposeful.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2024
Lippmann never gave more than a desultory response.
—Annalee Newitz, Scientific American, 24 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for desultory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desultory
Adjective
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Our production designer had to find some random collector in Germany who had it.Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 22 Nov. 2024
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Life is a random, crazy, spinning, dipping, twisting and thrilling roller coaster anyway.Caleb Harris, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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There is more than 178 feet of beach and ocean frontage, which can be accessed via a rambling wooden staircase.Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024
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Some, of course, will find this style of writing off-putting and too rambling or the prose verging on purple, the narrative perhaps not story-driven enough.Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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The film is narrated in the languages of the cultures the characters move through, as Burmese gives way to Thai, to Vietnamese, and beyond — a wandering, collective dream.Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024
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Take in all of Bernardo’s wandering wonder, then listen to what makes your traveling heart beat stronger.Laura Manske, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Along with the combination of music and video programming, Plex has also carved out a niche for consumers who maintain their own personal libraries but don’t want to surrender them in the more arbitrary streaming era.Dade Hayes, Deadline, 22 Nov. 2024
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Examples include the awarding of government contracts without open bidding, arbitrary tax breaks, and the issuance of government licenses or mining concessions to friends.Michael Posner, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Three indirect deaths were reported, with damage in Puerto Rico estimated in the tens of millions of dollars.Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 21 Nov. 2024
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The student who has been sentenced is not to have any direct or indirect contact with Perry Meridian High School, according to the family's attorneys.Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Garcia broke down on live streams, claiming to be smoking marijuana and was criticized for his erratic behavior.Scott Thompson, Fox News, 27 Nov. 2024
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The investigation also highlighted broad trends of police encountering people exhibiting erratic behavior, without threats of violence, ending up experiencing serious force and injury.Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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For all the discursive conversations about finding meaning in a dying world, this is still fundamentally a show where plot takes precedence over character.Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 27 Oct. 2024
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Although Pinker writes as a scientist, his approach in this book is discursive rather than deductive, charmingly but not quite persuasively advancing his ex cathedra views about life in general.Timothy Snyder, Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2011
Thesaurus Entries Near desultory
Cite this Entry
“Desultory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desultory. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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