DESERTED Synonyms: 102 Similar and Opposite Words

deserted 1 of 2

adjective

as in abandoned

left unoccupied or unused we had the deserted beach all to ourselves

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

deserted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of desert

as in rejected

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in left

to cause to remain behind deserted the kids at the food court for some independent shopping

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 deserted

Adjective

Once all but deserted, the town experienced a revival in 1965, when artists and musicians began to flock there after encouragement from the Yugoslav government. — Tia Lovisa Moreira, Travel + Leisure, 2 July 2026 Security video reportedly shows Carman entering a condominium hand in hand with the teen, then later leaving alone, hauling a large suitcase toward a deserted area alongside the railway. — Jintamas Saksornchai, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026 So So Glos built the studio themselves a decade ago, in a deserted cosmetics warehouse. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2026 Power’s deserted worksites could be received as a harbinger of a world without workers, one in which unmanned machines no longer need the humans who helped build them. — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 23 June 2026 There are luxurious high-rise towers overlooking the Mekong River, where entire floors are now deserted following police raids that cleared out the illicit operations hidden there. — Shibani Mahtani, NPR, 21 June 2026 Some areas would remain deserted for over a decade, because of the risk of radiation poisoning. — Literary Hub, 17 June 2026 The city, usually home to some 90,000 people before the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah erupted on March 2, was largely deserted as Israel pressed its military offensive in the area in recent days. — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 15 June 2026 The sonic world became an online phenomenon unto itself, as users paired wistful and dreamy sounds with their own photos of deserted corridors and empty malls. — Harry Thorfinn-George, Pitchfork, 11 June 2026

Verb

Ghulam Ali whipped his head around to see if anyone else was there, but the fields were deserted at this time of day. — Literary Hub, 30 June 2026 No matter how crowded or deserted your beach may be, being mindful of others will go a long way in creating an enjoyable day for you and all your fellow beachgoers. — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 19 June 2026 Further up Lake Street, there are signs of a slow recovery at the Plaza Mexico, with customers sitting at tables that were deserted during the winter. — Conor Wight, CBS News, 10 June 2026 Korda managed to keep it together when her swing, which felt so pure in the practice rounds, deserted her in an opening round of 73 that left her seven shots behind. — ABC News, 8 June 2026 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 Instead, the city of Garden Grove is partially deserted with the looming threat of a toxic cloud. — Victoria Le, Oc Register, 24 May 2026 Their form has deserted them at the worst possible time. — Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 24 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deserted

Adjective

According to the gallery, the 25-minute film is set in a semi-abandoned hotel near Tokyo and reimagines the Greek myth of the goddess Persephone’s abduction by Hades.

— Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 16 June 2026
The city has been overwhelmed in recent years by an influx of abandoned and stray dogs and puppies.

— Alyce McFadden, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Mar. 2026

Definition of abandoned

Verb

In June, a federal judge ordered Baldoni and his production company to pay Lively’s attorney fees related to his unsuccessful defamation lawsuit against her, but rejected her bid for additional damages.

— Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
More than any other aspect, the hydration breaks have demonstrated that simply creating more commercial opportunities does not necessarily create better marketing as fan discussion has overwhelmingly rejected the match breaks.

— Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Definition of rejected

Adjective

The planes were carrying Israeli commandos to a disused airport-terminal building in Uganda, on the shores of Lake Victoria.

— Anne Neuberger, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026
In December last year, fashion designer Matthieu Blazy debuted his first Métiers d’Art collection for Chanel against the backdrop of a vintage train, which pulled into a disused subway station in downtown Manhattan.

— Emmanuel Olunkwa, Architectural Digest, 1 July 2026

Definition of disused

Adjective

These poems, spare and sometimes desolate, teem with harsh realities and unadorned truths.

— Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 7 July 2026
In its vision of a desolate America ruled by tyranny and militia, the United States becomes, in the eyes of those who live in its pre-industrial ruins, an idealized symbol of better times.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 July 2026

Definition of desolate

Adjective

And New York City has championed these conversions, offering tax incentives to turn older vacant office buildings into livable spaces.

— Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
The only pedestrians passing by one vacant dirt lot near 6th Street were a couple of teens on BMX bikes wearing smoke-blocking face masks.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Definition of vacant

Adjective

Markwayne Mullin, the secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, alleged that the Biden administration was derelict in its duty by failing to vet the sponsors of the children and to conduct wellness checks to ensure their safety.

— Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Once the colony grew, the birds roosted in a derelict military barracks nearby, later returning to the pine forest when the facility was renovated.

— Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 14 May 2026

Definition of derelict

Adjective

El Dorado County voters will have a new supervisor in the 4th District, as voters cast their ballots Tuesday on the vacated seat this primary election.

— Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
The Idaho Senate majority leader will face a challenger, and two hopefuls will vie for a vacated House seat in legislative District 22 in the upcoming GOP primary.

— Rose Evans May 8, Idaho Statesman, 8 May 2026

Definition of vacated

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“Deserted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deserted. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of deserted

adjective

verb

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