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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4
as in barren
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
wild, desolate plains on which only the hardiest could survive
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Jeff Kleinman, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2025
After an intense manhunt, authorities found his Nissan Versa in a desolate section of Glenn Highway.
—Kc Baker, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
But my subject here is not those desolate and terrible hinterlands of parenthood.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2025
Fourteen years of war have left the country desolate, and its people exhausted; millions have been displaced or were forced to become refugees.
—Raghed Waked & Justin Salhani, The Dial, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desolate
Adjective
The Desert Inn dominated a desolate place that used to be called Jackass Junction, for the donkeys that once crossed the road.
—Jeff Kleinman, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2025
After an intense manhunt, authorities found his Nissan Versa in a desolate section of Glenn Highway.
—Kc Baker, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
But my subject here is not those desolate and terrible hinterlands of parenthood.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2025
Fourteen years of war have left the country desolate, and its people exhausted; millions have been displaced or were forced to become refugees.
—Raghed Waked & Justin Salhani, The Dial, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desolate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolate
Adjective
-
The observations from Drewry’s and Moody’s, as well as the scenario floated by McCown, follow a bleak outlook for the middle of May out of the biggest port in the U.S.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
25 Apr. 2025
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Complicating matters further is a bleak hydrological outlook.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Community service for an increasingly lonely, isolated society?—
Nate Rogers,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2025
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According to recent Gallup data, approximately 20% of U.S. adults report feeling lonely every day.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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So, why would an elite striker commit to two potentially barren years?—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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The project’s fertilizer by-product will support farmers and transform barren land into fertile farmland, according to Prasad.—
Ian Sayson,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
27 Apr. 2025
-
There is nothing that can ruin trying to sleep through a redeye like the sunrise hitting your face.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Infused with glutathione, vitamin C, and niacinamide, they’re formulated to brighten hyperpigmentation and dark spots, all while improving uneven skin tone and reviving dull skin.—
Denise Primbet,
Glamour,
28 Apr. 2025
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Shows this dark need moments of beauty, and this episode provided those in spades.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 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
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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
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Criminal justice scholars say that when scores based on immutable facts are weighted so heavily in parole decisions, prisoners from impoverished, racially segregated communities are more likely to be hurt.—
Richard A. Webster,
ProPublica,
10 Apr. 2025
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The once-vacant lot across the street from her childhood playground on Washington Avenue is now home to Wilcox Academy, an early learning center that represents a powerful investment in a historically impoverished community.—
Raymond Pierce,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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More than half a dozen tornadoes have been confirmed, including one in Marshall County, Oklahoma, that left two homes completely destroyed and damaged about 20 others.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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The war has destroyed vast parts of Gaza and most of its food production capabilities.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desolate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolate. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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