1
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits
his desolation after his twin brother died was incurable
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in disrepair
the state of being unattended to or not cared for
the desolation of the abandoned garden
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in devastation
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
the nuclear attack resulted in a scene of utter desolation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of desolation
The director captures the town’s desolation and strife through magical realist imagery mixed with flashes of religious iconography, revealing how such a place can still seem enchanting for a young boy who grew up there.
—
Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 21 Nov. 2025
What distinguishes two states is not closeness to realization or a workable pathway to success but a long record of failure that ended in death, desolation, and despair.
—Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
And so the people of Hiroshima today are walking through the forlorn desolation of their once proud city with gauze masks over their mouths and noses.
—Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
Even beyond the pulsing techno soundtrack and the majestic desolation of the landscape, Sirât (the title referring to the Islamic term for the razor-thin bridge between heaven and hell) creates a sensory experience of audacity and shock that touches the sublime.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 21 Nov. 2025
What distinguishes two states is not closeness to realization or a workable pathway to success but a long record of failure that ended in death, desolation, and despair.
—Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
And so the people of Hiroshima today are walking through the forlorn desolation of their once proud city with gauze masks over their mouths and noses.
—Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
Even beyond the pulsing techno soundtrack and the majestic desolation of the landscape, Sirât (the title referring to the Islamic term for the razor-thin bridge between heaven and hell) creates a sensory experience of audacity and shock that touches the sublime.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolation
Noun
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Rosalía joined in September, writing about the purpose of her art but also the sadness around her birthday.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
15 Feb. 2026
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The manipulations also affected how much sadness and anger participants reported feeling while scrolling.—
Simon Makin,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The final product is a Southwestern desert vibe with a luxe, Palm Springs twist; effortlessly blending sepia photos, raw materials, colorful decor, and contemporary comforts.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
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The camp’s 50 safari-style tents are spread across 220 acres of desert overlooking Lake Powell.—
Megan Eaves,
Outside,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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When a property falls into disrepair — whether through abandonment, a neglectful landlord, or the owner can't keep up — neighbors start to worry about the impact on their community.—
Meghan Schiller,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
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The farm has been so long neglected that its barn and homestead are in complete disrepair, its fields untended and its livestock distributed among the villagers, none of whom volunteer to return the animals.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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It's all told from the vantage point of a woman trying to make sense of her life in the face of devastation, sometimes grasping for signs that only hindsight can uncover.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
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This has brought generational devastation.—
Stephen Swanson,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Turner plays the middle brother with intriguing melancholy and an almost alien detachment, which works within the world this film creates, but not necessarily for a main character.—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
15 Feb. 2026
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Fanning’s name was the first called when nominations were announced, signaling that Scandinavian melancholy would be notably absent that morning.—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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He was initially charged in July 2025 and indicted by a grand jury on one count of malicious destruction of government property in August 2025.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
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The Michigan State Police says the suspect now faces 11 felony charges and eight misdemeanor charges that include check fraud and malicious destruction of property.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Next, using a statistical tool known as a Cox regression model, the researchers equalized the participants based on factors such as age, smoking status, BMI, physical activity, alcohol intake, depression, family history of dementia, medication use and more.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
15 Feb. 2026
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His relationship with Serena developed during his wife’s battle with depression.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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America’s obsession with betting has created havoc for NBA players, who have faced a torrent of abuse from fans and spoken out publicly about it.—
Mike Vorkunov,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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With his size and strength, McDonald can regularly get into the backfield and create havoc.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Desolation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolation. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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