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

as in bleak

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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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

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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

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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

On Tuesday, Distrito Catorce’s neighboring Mariachi Plaza, a normally bustling landmark, felt desolate. — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026 Wilderness Little Kulala is about a 45-minute drive outside the park, located in a seemingly desolate rocky plain with harsh, jagged mountains interspersed throughout the flatlands. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 June 2026 Most of the women disappeared between 2000 and 2010, and most of their remains were found on a desolate parkway not far from Long Island’s Gilgo Beach, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Manhattan. — ABC News, 17 June 2026 Taulant Bino stands along a desolate dirt road surrounded on both sides by wetland. — Rob Schmitz, NPR, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for desolate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolate

Adjective

Outside of Duran’s efforts, though, the Rangers’ offense was bleak.

— Cal Phillips Updated July 11, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 July 2026
Indeed, Brocka insists on escapist fantasies in a world that otherwise offers no escape, which, in my view, is more hopeful than bleak — and, in turn, allows this kind of gritty sensuality to persist in his ever-enduring, luminous cinema.

— Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 10 July 2026

Definition of bleak

Adjective

The Hollywood Bowl was by no means a lonely bowl Sunday night, as Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass returned to pack the storied venue for the first time in 59 years.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 7 July 2026
Through letters, Ulisses charms lonely women, bilking them of money and possessions.

— Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026

Definition of lonely

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

Definition of deserted

Adjective

Besides, nobody was going to believe that humanity's nemesis hailed from Mars after the Viking landers had sent back photos of a barren, dead world.

— Richard Edwards, Space.com, 4 July 2026
Its location on barren, massive Fort Bliss land also allowed for a space that could hold up to 10,000 unauthorized immigrants at a time, more than any other facility in the country.

— Perla Trevizo, ProPublica, 3 July 2026

Definition of barren

Adjective

As its name suggests, the product is formulated with skin care superstar retinol to smooth fine lines and crow’s feet and brighten dark circles.

— Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 7 July 2026
El Floridita and Sloppy Joe’s, tourist destinations made famous by American novelist Ernest Hemingway, sat dark and shuttered.

— Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026

Definition of dark

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

This British drama series follows a woman named Emma over the course of more than six decades of her life, from the 1900s through the 1970s, working her way from impoverished maid to the world’s richest woman.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 12 July 2026
Younger people are more likely to embrace socialism than older voters raised during the Cold War, for whom socialism may conjure images of an impoverished, freedom-less society like the former Communist bloc in Eastern Europe.

— Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 11 July 2026

Definition of impoverished

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“Desolate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolate. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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