Synonyms of desert

desert 1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈde-zərt 

as in barren

land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops

we were lost in the desert for days without food

Synonyms & Similar Words

• barren
• wasteland
• wilderness
• desolation
• heath
• bush
• waste
• no-man's-land
• wild
• badland
• brush
• outdoors
• dust bowl
• open
• out-of-doors
• open air
• nature

desert

2 of 4

noun (2)

di-ˈzərt 

as in discipline

usually deserts plural suffering, loss, or hardship imposed in response to a crime or offense

the robbers got their just deserts

Synonyms & Similar Words

• discipline
• correction
• assessment
• punishment
• penalty
• sentence
• fine
• wrath
• criticism
• chastisement
• charge
• nemesis
• revenge
• comeuppance
• retaliation
• castigation
• vengeance
• retribution
• example
• confinement
• reprisal
• incarceration
• imprisonment
• condemnation
• damnation
• rebuke
• reproof
• censure
• reprimand
• mulct
• denouncement

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• parole
• indemnity
• pardon
• amnesty
• exemption
• immunity
• acquittal
• vindication
• impunity
• exoneration
• release
• exculpation
• forgiveness
• reprieve
• disregard
• commutation
• remission
• absolution
• overlooking
• condonation
• remitment

desert

3 of 4

verb

di-ˈzərt 

1

as in to abandon

to leave (a cause or party) often in order to take up another

the volunteer became disillusioned with his candidate and deserted to a political rival

Synonyms & Similar Words

• abandon
• reject
• leave
• withdraw
• defect (from)
• jump ship
• forsake
• cut off
• run out on
• walk out on
• rat (on)
• go back on
• renounce
• go
• spurn
• quit
• disown
• abjure
• abdicate
• repudiate
• depart
• renege
• apostatize

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• adhere (to)
• stick (to or with)
• foster
• cling (to)
• cultivate
• cherish

2

as in to leave

to cause to remain behind

deserted the kids at the food court for some independent shopping

Synonyms & Similar Words

• leave
• abandon
• forsake
• strand
• dump
• ditch
• escape
• maroon
• walk out on
• walk away from
• quit
• fling
• shed
• throw away
• cut off
• sacrifice
• scrap
• discard
• withdraw (from)
• throw out
• separate (from)
• relinquish
• retreat (from)
• junk
• ignore
• vacate
• hand over
• forget
• surrender
• give up
• renounce
• distance
• take off (from)
• reject
• yield
• neglect
• shuck (off)
• jettison
• disregard
• deliver
• repudiate
• disown
• abjure

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• have
• own
• keep
• possess
• reserve
• hold
• retain
• reclaim
• withhold
• save
• harbor
• redeem
• rescue

desert

4 of 4

adjective

as in arid

Related Words

• arid
• dry
• waterless
• thirsty
• rainless
• droughty
• sere
• consumed
• sunbaked
• parched
• depleted
• dehydrated
• spent
• diminished
• exhausted
• drained
• debilitated
• baked
• reduced
• enfeebled
• dried-up
• expended
• inhospitable
• uncultivable
• lessened
• lifeless
• used up
• desolate
• barren
• bankrupted
• bleak
• untillable
• impoverished
• unfertile
• hardscrabble
• infertile
• waste
• bony
• unproductive
• poor
• stark
• dead

Dissimilar Words

• fertile
• rich
• productive
• fruitful
• lush
• luxuriant
• green
• arable
• tillable
• verdant
• sylvan

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb desert contrast with its synonyms?

The words abandon and forsake are common synonyms of desert. While all three words mean "to leave without intending to return," desert implies that the object left may be weakened but not destroyed by one's absence.

a deserted town

Where would abandon be a reasonable alternative to desert?

The words abandon and desert can be used in similar contexts, but abandon suggests that the thing or person left may be helpless without protection.

abandoned children

When would forsake be a good substitute for desert?

The meanings of forsake and desert largely overlap; however, forsake suggests an action more likely to bring impoverishment or bereavement to that which is forsaken than its exposure to physical dangers.

a forsaken lover

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of desert

Noun

About 1 in 9 reproductive-age women in the country are uninsured, with the worst rates in the South, rural areas, and maternity care deserts. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 17 Aug. 2026

Bipartisan critics also argue a physical barrier in the region doesn't make sense, as the mountains, river and desert that make up the harsh landscape serve as a natural deterrent. — Lexi Salazar, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026

Verb

Over the next two decades, records are few, most of them noting criminal convictions for fighting in bars, stealing a watch, deserting a whaling ship, and beating his wife. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026

And a $208 million Rural Health Transformation award now lets Arkansas confront the maternity care deserts the national conversation overlooks—because when the nearest delivery unit is an hour away, distance itself is a risk factor. — John Boozman, Time, 23 June 2026

Adjective

Elsewhere in California, a mandatory wood-burning ban is in force for the South Coast Air Basin—which includes Orange County and non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties—until midnight on Saturday. — Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025

The program includes guided indoor cardio workouts, various levels of drills and interval training, and running trails through the surrounding semi-desert wilderness that range from three to nine miles. — Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025