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
Relevance
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to leave
to cause to remain behind
deserted the kids at the food court for some independent shopping
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in arid
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example 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 desert
Andrea Romano,
Travel + Leisure,
23 June 2026
Then there are the many desert-style courses in Scottsdale that are just plain fun – surrounded by mountains, the deep green fairways are often framed by the barren desert for a visually spectacular look.
—
Scott Kramer,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
28 May 2026
Bro, being deserted on a deserted island back in the fifties is way different than nowadays.
—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for desert
Noun
Camping in this desert oasis means sleeping among the rocks and iconic Joshua trees under a dark sky that's prime for stargazing.
—
Andrea Romano,
Travel + Leisure,
23 June 2026
Then there are the many desert-style courses in Scottsdale that are just plain fun – surrounded by mountains, the deep green fairways are often framed by the barren desert for a visually spectacular look.
—
Scott Kramer,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Verb
In the last decade, young audiences coveted by advertisers have deserted late night TV shows for streaming channels.
—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
28 May 2026
Bro, being deserted on a deserted island back in the fifties is way different than nowadays.
—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
28 May 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
See All Example Sentences for desert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desert
Noun
-
This leaves the mid-market trapped in a dangerous wasteland, forced into destructive promotional cycles to protect foot traffic without possessing the scale to survive thin margins.
-
In a few short decades every forest in Pennsylvania—and nearly the entirety of eastern North America—would be clear-cut and transformed into a wasteland of stumps.
Noun
-
The conversation was no longer focused on accessibility as a discipline.
-
These are professionals who have spent years working alongside some of the best filmmakers in the world and who bring an extraordinary level of expertise, discipline and problem solving to every production.
Verb
-
One of Wood’s earliest conversations with Reid centered on abandoning the heeled footwear that helped define earlier versions of the character.
-
Jessie is thrilled, but her enthusiasm is crushingly fleeting, as Emily abandons Jessie with other items in a donation box on the side of the road.
Verb
-
Yet robust economic growth has proved elusive, even as government debt has climbed, leaving successive administrations with little firepower to fix a growing list of related challenges, from crumbling infrastructure to a chronic housing shortage.
-
Adis does the right thing and asks to leave the boat.
Adjective
-
As noted by the Brewers broadcast, a second-inning double by A’s shortstop Alika Williams might have gone foul if not for the extremely arid Las Vegas air.
-
The semi-arid region’s population has exploded over the past century—the river served only 457,000 people in 1922—as has its agriculture sector, which now covers more than 5 million acres of farmland and accounts for 70% of all water use.
Noun
-
Sense of place The river — which swells with spring snowmelt — and surrounding wilderness give the property a strong sense of place.
-
Whether your 9-to-5 job involves a rare combination of manual record keeping and precarious wilderness travel, or your idea of outdoor recreation includes journaling your day while remaining at the ready for whatever nature hurls at you, the all-new Pen-metheus equips you for it all.
Noun
-
Each robot must independently interpret ball position and goalkeeper movement before committing to a strike, making split-second corrections based on sensor feedback.
-
In that sense, an eye appointment can reveal information that goes far beyond vision correction.
Verb
-
Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez rejected those motions.
-
Goldman has drawn criticism for refusing to reject support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group.
Cite this Entry
“Desert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desert. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
