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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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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
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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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Dike, who has missed much of the last two years with a string of serious injuries, ended his barren spell by scoring for his English Championship club West Bromwich Albion in their 5-3 win over Luton Town on Saturday.—
Ali Rampling,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
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Without predators to keep them in check, says Laura Rogers-Bennett, a senior environmental scientist at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, urchins devour the base of kelp and can turn towering forests into barren seascapes within a matter of seasons.—
Avery Schuyler Nunn,
Smithsonian Magazine,
30 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
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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
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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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Pope Francis was the first pope to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi, well-known for his call for engagement with the impoverished, love of creation and the Church.—
Gabriele Regalbuto,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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The dedication to care for impoverished women and children continues to influence the culture and values of Mercy today.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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To allow these courts to be destroyed to make pickleball courts is just wrong.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
3 May 2025
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Black residents had already been moving away because of gentrification before the fires and saw their homes severely damaged or destroyed at higher rates than other groups during the blaze.—
Andrew Khouri,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desolate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolate. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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