1
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
a desolate house abandoned many years ago
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
3
as in deserted
left unoccupied or unused
a desolate mining town that had its brief heyday more than a century ago
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in barren
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
wild, desolate plains on which only the hardiest could survive
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to ruin
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
totally desolated the city with aerial bombs
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of desolate
Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 21 Jan. 2026
His body was later found in a desolate area.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 20 Jan. 2026
Cabrera theorized those involved in the killing could have hopped a fence and exited through the yard of a connecting property onto a desolate street that runs parallel to the highway.
—Graham Womack
updated January 15, Sacbee.com, 16 Jan. 2026
After the twinkling lights of the holiday season have been packed away, winter can feel downright dull and desolate, especially for families with energetic kids trapped inside by the cold.
—Erica Jackson Curran, Parents, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for desolate
Adjective
The films peer out into desolate post-industrial landscapes.
—Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 21 Jan. 2026
His body was later found in a desolate area.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 20 Jan. 2026
Cabrera theorized those involved in the killing could have hopped a fence and exited through the yard of a connecting property onto a desolate street that runs parallel to the highway.
—Graham Womack
updated January 15, Sacbee.com, 16 Jan. 2026
After the twinkling lights of the holiday season have been packed away, winter can feel downright dull and desolate, especially for families with energetic kids trapped inside by the cold.
—Erica Jackson Curran, Parents, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for desolate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolate
Adjective
-
Tautly written, this first novel by a former criminal lawyer who spent 17 years in the Arctic is a hard look at the desolate lives of people resigned to life in the bleak far north.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Both Bird and Clausen play this mounting nightmare with the appropriate ache and desperation, elevating the emotional tenor of Chiarella’s sad, frequently bleak film.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Interestingly, the clip of the penguin proved something of a Rorschach test, with some viewing the creature as a lonely outcast, and others interpreting the penguin’s journey as a quest for adventure.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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One of Hardy's victims, who went only by the pseudonym Melanie, told The Guardian that in school, Hardy was a target for bullies and seemed lonely.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026
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Mahahual Tucked along the Costa Maya in the south, Mahahual is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it fishing village with quiet, often deserted beaches that invite long, barefoot walks in the sand.—
Gemma Price,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The president cites national security concerns—despite existing approvals to expand militarily—and the potentially rich natural resources on the icy, largely barren territory.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
21 Jan. 2026
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And where there was once snow and ice just a few decades ago, there are now areas of shrub, along with barren rock and wetlands, the 2024 study reported.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And, from this week’s issue, Nicola Twilley’s reporting on another lingering effect of the wildfires—smoke taint that is ruining grapes and threatening California’s wine industry.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
-
This will either change your life or ruin you.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Jim is the only one standing still, staring straight at the camera with his intense, dark-blue eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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Small described the shooter as a male who was wearing dark clothing and black and white shoes.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Barnham site lies in a disused clay pit in Suffolk, UK, preserving traces of the period around 427,000 to 415,000 years ago.—
Jay Kakade
December 30,
New Atlas,
30 Dec. 2025
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Colonial Pipeline said its network had been accessed via a compromised password that was linked to a disused virtual private networking account used for remote access.—
Charlotte Reck,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Surely my imagination was not so impoverished?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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They are fascinated by this impoverished district of docks and shabby warehouses, associated in the popular imagination with Asian sailors, white slavery, and cholera.—
Hari Kunzru,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Desolate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolate. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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