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
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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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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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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
-
Internet connectivity has been partially restored, but experts are warning that, even on the other side of the digital blackout, the outlook for Iranian internet access remains bleak.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
-
In Havana, reaction to the president's upcoming contingency plan to grapple with fuel shortages was bleak.—
Orlando Matos,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
Displaced families often spend weeks, sometimes months, in makeshift dwellings, including public squares and deserted government buildings, while children lose months or even years of education as schools close or become inaccessible owing to gang activity.—
Edwidge Danticat,
New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2026
-
When their plane crashes, Linda and Bradley find themselves together on a deserted island.—
Julie Hinds,
Freep.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The Leafs’ priority at the trade deadline must be restocking their barren cupboards with high draft picks and intriguing prospects.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
In 2016, a team led by Su Yinquan, dean of forestry at Northwest A&F University, leased 14 hectares of barren Gobi land in Xinjiang to test whether Duzhong could survive and grow there.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
1 Feb. 2026
-
To say much more would be to ruin the wild twists and turns that unfold as the night marches onward.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In a world that can feel increasingly dark and divided, this film reminds us all that everyone, everywhere deserves love.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Ava Phillippe tapped into the Ralph Lauren aesthetic with rugged dark wash shirt and jeans, pulled together with worn-in brown leather accessories and jacket.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Understanding that Mandela’s liberation meant that white-minority rule was coming to an end, the founders trekked into the desert, bought a disused mining town wholesale, and established a colony.—
Eve Fairbanks,
The Dial,
27 Jan. 2026
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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
Adjective
-
Pilgrims also threw in coins as offerings, some later retrieved by impoverished people to survive.—
Norma Meyer,
Oc Register,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The penultimate episode saw Deathclaws descending on Freeside, an impoverished community on the fringes of New Vegas.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Desolate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolate. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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