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
As the survivors venture out and scramble back, the images oscillate between nervous claustrophobia and eerie, wide-open desolation; between the overly familiar and the radically strange.
—
Mike Hale, New York Times, 1 May 2025
The question that hangs over the screenplay is not if Maddox’s desolation will metastasize into violence, but when.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2025
And this week, NASCAR is returning to the North Carolina racetrack after years of desolation and renovation and revitalization; a Truck Series race, which FOX is broadcasting, will run Friday, with an Xfinity Series race on The CW slated for Saturday before Easter Sunday.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 2025
This week, Morgan Wallen and Post Malone pair up again for a new collaboration, while Sam Barber offers up a song of blistering song of desolation.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Mike Hale, New York Times, 1 May 2025
The question that hangs over the screenplay is not if Maddox’s desolation will metastasize into violence, but when.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2025
And this week, NASCAR is returning to the North Carolina racetrack after years of desolation and renovation and revitalization; a Truck Series race, which FOX is broadcasting, will run Friday, with an Xfinity Series race on The CW slated for Saturday before Easter Sunday.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 2025
This week, Morgan Wallen and Post Malone pair up again for a new collaboration, while Sam Barber offers up a song of blistering song of desolation.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolation
Noun
-
Photo: Leo Fox A relative hotel desert until recent years, a crop of new addresses are cementing Valencia’s resurgence as a travel destination.—
Elizabeth Bennett,
Vogue,
20 June 2025
-
The biggest find on Tracks II is Inyo, a portrait of the California badlands, set in border towns, desert roads, and aqueducts, with the heavy influence of mariachi bands.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
The house had been abandoned for over 15 years and had fallen into disrepair.—
Leila Jordan,
IndieWire,
23 June 2025
-
While fans have been crying out for improvements for years, the vast majority of clubs have so far lacked the means to make a significant dent, leaving many teams and stadiums in a state of bankruptcy or disrepair.—
David Ferrini,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Noun
-
Labor Day is suffused with a certain melancholy at the end of summer and children are already back in school.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2025
-
That betrayal, like so many others, fed the melancholy in Brian's music.—
Philip Martin,
Arkansas Online,
15 June 2025
Noun
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Leave the innocents, the children, the ones who just want to live a simple life, out of the bombing and destruction.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2025
-
The result of these and other assaults, wrote Jed Kolko, a former undersecretary for economic affairs at the Commerce Department overseeing data operations at the Census Bureau and BEA, will include the destruction of trust in U.S. economic data.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2025
Noun
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Spending time with a therapy dog can also reduce anxiety, loneliness and depression, while increasing the patient's socialization.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
-
For some, symptoms stabilize or improve, especially if caused by treatable issues like depression or medication side effects.—
Nawab John Dar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
The narrow streets bend, wrap back on themselves, and otherwise create directional havoc.—
Liz Tracey,
JSTOR Daily,
24 June 2025
-
The consent decree clears a major hurdle for the Omnicom-IPG deal, with the companies seeking to merge as artificial intelligence prepares to wreck havoc across the industry.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
Even a moderate amount of weight loss can make a difference.—
Wendy Wisner,
Health,
20 June 2025
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The push underscores how the president remains fixated on his loss to former President Biden in 2020, even after mounting a political comeback last year to win a second term.—
Cate Martel,
The Hill,
20 June 2025
Noun
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Ars Technica: Populations of the tiger shark, the great white, and couple of other species have declined so dramatically that many are on the verge of extinction.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
20 June 2025
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There are as many as 37 species of guitarfish, some of which are at higher risk of extinction than others.—
Peter Kyne,
The Conversation,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desolation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolation. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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