1
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits
his desolation after his twin brother died was incurable
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 desolation
Vartkessian renders them neither clinically nor sensationally—a fine line to walk—and cherry-picking details for this review feels grossly reductive, like a thumbnail sketch of a scene of desolation.
—
Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Maradona managed to unite in desolation a country deeply divided.
—Esteban Campanela, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Maradona managed to unite in desolation a country deeply divided.
—Esteban Campanela, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolation
Noun
-
There is only sadness that they're gone.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Osanmoh notes that although losing might elicit some feelings of sadness, disappointment, and even anger in kids of all ages, this outcome has serious value.—
Stephanie Ganz,
Parents,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But even for longtime Border Patrol agents, who are trained at an academy in the deserts of New Mexico and stationed along the northern and southern borders, high-density cities are unfamiliar terrain.—
Ruby Cramer,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Further inland and to the south, Wolwedans Boulders Camp sits atop an island of granite and sandy plains found within a private nature reserve deep in the desert.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Wrexham were in a stage of stagnation at the time and the Racecourse Ground, as it was known in those days, in a state of disrepair.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
After her death, the church fell into disrepair.—
Madeleine Wright,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
First there was Alexander Bublik, whaling his racket into the green court behind the baseline against Rinky Hijikata with abandon and devastation.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The balance Jean strikes between devastation and liberation emphasizes the appreciation one brings to the other.—
Larisha Paul,
VIBE.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
On his early records, the London musician made do with saxophone alone, looping and layering his instrument into billowing expressions of foghorn melancholy.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
26 Feb. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Washington has no answer to any of these questions – only a theory of destruction.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Jalloh’s lengthy criminal history includes more than 30 arrests for charges of rape, assault, drug possession, property destruction, identity theft, trespassing, firing a weapon, grand larceny, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and pickpocketing.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Studies have shown a correlation between heavy digital dependence and mental health challenges including depression, anxiety and stress.—
Karen Garcia,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
-
People seeking support often present with overlapping challenges such as anxiety, OCD, depression, trauma histories, chronic stress or relationship difficulties.—
Gwilym Roddick,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Saudi Arabia has stepped up direct engagement with Iran to try and contain a war in the Middle East that is causing havoc and stressing global markets, according to several European officials.—
Donato Paolo Mancini,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The change launches biannual arguments about the practice, wrecks havoc on sleep and has inspired voters to go to California polls.—
Hannah Poukish,
Sacbee.com,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Desolation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolation. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
