desolate 1 of 2

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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

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desolate

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective desolate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of desolate are bleak, cheerless, dismal, dreary, and gloomy. While all these words mean "devoid of cheer or comfort," desolate adds an element of utter remoteness or lack of human contact to any already disheartening aspect.

a desolate outpost

Where would bleak be a reasonable alternative to desolate?

The words bleak and desolate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bleak suggests chill, dull, and barren characteristics that utterly dishearten.

the bleak years of the depression

When is cheerless a more appropriate choice than desolate?

The words cheerless and desolate can be used in similar contexts, but cheerless stresses absence of anything cheering.

a drab and cheerless office

When might dismal be a better fit than desolate?

In some situations, the words dismal and desolate are roughly equivalent. However, dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess.

dismal weather

When could dreary be used to replace desolate?

Although the words dreary and desolate have much in common, dreary, often interchangeable with dismal, emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility.

a dreary job

When is it sensible to use gloomy instead of desolate?

The meanings of gloomy and desolate largely overlap; however, gloomy often suggests lack of hope or promise.

gloomy war news

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 desolate
Adjective
Despite its desolate appearance, Bouvet is surprisingly rich in bird life. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025 Isola by Allegra Goodman A teenage noblewoman must summon unimaginable strength and courage when she and her lover are left for dead on a desolate island off the coast of Canada. Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 7 July 2025 With homes and businesses desolate, a truck with speakers has been cruising through the streets of the working-class neighborhood with a message. Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 6 July 2025 There’s something about the kind of desolate, quiet nature of the desert that’s very different from making music in a huge metropolitan city. Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for desolate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolate
Adjective
  • Many people were concerned about their financial situation, as the overall economic outlook was bleak.
    Rocky Sharma, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
  • Morale among agency staff is bleak, according to one CDC official who spoke on the condition that they not be named for fear of reprisals.
    Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 31 July 2025
Adjective
  • But men and women who are flying solo—without a spouse—typically report their lives to be less meaningful and more lonely.
    Brad Wilcox, The Atlantic, 29 July 2025
  • The series is handsomely composed — NFL Films knows how to capture sunlight slanting through shoulder pads and the lonely geometry of empty stadiums.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 July 2025
Adjective
  • Then there is Canada and Greenland’s beef over the uninhabited Hans Island, a barren spit in the Kennedy Channel.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 25 July 2025
  • Brown, barren, patchy spots in your lawn can be unsightly.
    Cody Godwin, USA Today, 24 July 2025
Verb
  • Some adults agreed, but others made comments about me ruining the mood.
    Nicholas Rice, People.com, 20 July 2025
  • However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
    Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 20 July 2025
Adjective
  • Transformed into a swan by the evil sorcerer Rothbart, Odette and Siegfried's love faces an impossible battle against dark forces.
    Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 22 July 2025
  • Based on the video game of the same name created by Scott Cawthon, the 2023 film follows a night guard (Josh Hutcherson) who takes a job at a decrepit pizzeria, discovering that the animatronic characters in the restaurant come to life after dark.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 21 July 2025
Adjective
  • On his release, Stern went on to spend the 1950s ping-ponging between New York and California, for a time living on a disused laundry barge in Sausalito.
    News Desk, Artforum, 3 Mar. 2025
  • One of the most powerful scenes in Sugarcane takes place in a disused barn where, over a period of decades, Indigenous children worked under the lash.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Will parts of Norway look like Nauru, a formerly lush tropical paradise stripped of its phosphate rock, and now a barren, impoverished cautionary tale?
    Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
  • The owner had purchased it in 2006 through a federal mortgage program designed specifically for people like her: impoverished, first-time homeowners who live in the most rural parts of the United States.
    ProPublica, ProPublica, 20 July 2025
Verb
  • In return, he was allowed to effectively destroy a nature site of great conservation value.
    Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 26 July 2025
  • Trump also is destroying the Games’ potential upside.
    Joe Mathews, Mercury News, 25 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Desolate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolate. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.

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