1
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
a desolate house abandoned many years ago
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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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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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of desolate
Suzanne Wright, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
Another downtown-only proposal would encourage entertainment venues — which typically leave street-level storefronts desolate during the day — to relocate underground so the ground floor can be occupied by a daytime business.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025
Exploring Indonesia—an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands—over a decade has led me to some truly jaw-dropping beaches, some gloriously desolate, others vibrantly alive with international travelers, expats, and locals.
—Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2025
Meanwhile, two days before the double murder, a 21-year-old man was shot and wounded around 3:30 a.m. on the same desolate block, which is about a mile and a half from where Sanchez was killed, cops said.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desolate
Adjective
While on horseback, federal agents protect desolate, challenging stretches of territory that vehicles can’t traverse.
—Suzanne Wright, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
Another downtown-only proposal would encourage entertainment venues — which typically leave street-level storefronts desolate during the day — to relocate underground so the ground floor can be occupied by a daytime business.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025
Exploring Indonesia—an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands—over a decade has led me to some truly jaw-dropping beaches, some gloriously desolate, others vibrantly alive with international travelers, expats, and locals.
—Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2025
Meanwhile, two days before the double murder, a 21-year-old man was shot and wounded around 3:30 a.m. on the same desolate block, which is about a mile and a half from where Sanchez was killed, cops said.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desolate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolate
Adjective
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Europe’s biggest economy Germany shrank more than expected in the second quarter of the year and faces a bleak outlook.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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The fiscal prospects for both Chicago and its transit authority are bleak.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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But when Shapiro demoed it on piano, Stiller recognized a spiritual cousin to David Shire’s lonely, somewhat jazzy solo piano score for The Conversation.—
Tim Greiving,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Aug. 2025
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Although Devil Girl from Mars was typical of the silly, schlocky TV fare that Estelle watched on many afternoons during her childhood, this movie was more than entertainment for a bored, lonely girl-child.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Those fleeting, vibrant days are the perfect time for hiking through a mix of wooded mountainside, barren volcanic landscapes, and marshland, with stops at some of Japan’s most rustic hot springs.—
Rob Goss,
AFAR Media,
26 Aug. 2025
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Whether nestled in lush forests or barren deserts, these towns bear the scars of time, showcasing human ingenuity while reminding us of the inevitability of decay.—
Kieron Marchese,
Architectural Digest,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Don Sweeney,
Miami Herald,
14 Aug. 2025
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But a sewer backup during this weekend's historic flood ruined 60 of the backpacks, Maya Bell reports.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Sydney Sweeney’s new dark crime comedy Americana is new in theaters this weekend.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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Flames and dark smoke billowed over a cement factory that was set alight by a wildfire that swept through olive groves and forests and disrupted rail traffic on the outskirts of the Greek city of Patras, west of Athens.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 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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Many people, especially those of us raised in impoverished (in the widest sense of the word) environments, spend their twenties banging their heads against a wall.—
Jane Ciabattari
August 19,
Literary Hub,
19 Aug. 2025
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As with many of his innovations and creations, the inspiration for his unbreakable porcelain came from his impoverished childhood.—
Anthony DeMarco,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Their job was to destroy the Amazon to make room for raising cattle.—
Terrence McCoy The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
31 Aug. 2025
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If allowed to stand, this Decision would literally destroy the United States of America.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desolate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolate. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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