DESOLATE Synonyms: 375 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

desolate 1 of 2

adjective

ˈde-sə-lət

Definition of desolate next

as in bleak

causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer a desolate house abandoned many years ago

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

as in deserted

left unoccupied or unused a desolate mining town that had its brief heyday more than a century ago

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

desolate

2 of 2

verb

ˈde-sə-ˌlāt

as in to ruin

to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of totally desolated the city with aerial bombs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Eastern New Mexico — dry, desolate — looks and feels very much like an appendage of West Texas. —

Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026 And that’s become a background topic this week, how a once-sumptuous secondary ticket market has become desolate. —

Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 10 Apr. 2026 Eastern New Mexico — dry, desolate — looks and feels very much like an appendage of West Texas. —

Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026 The field, a desolate oil patch, will eventually be the central location for what became known as the Texas Killing Fields. —

John Wayne Ferguson, Houston Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for desolate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolate

Adjective

In other words, the status quo of ed tech is bleak.

— Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 16 May 2026
Like its gruesome predecessors, his latest full-length work features adorably designed anthropomorphic animals (and mushrooms) navigating bleak realities and confronting existentialist concerns.

— Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 15 May 2026