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
The photos below capture the desperation of people with nowhere to go, the absence of infrastructure to help them, the desolation of the empty desert.
—
Lynsey Addario, The Atlantic, 12 May 2025
On a long album full of romantic vitriol and emotional desolation, songs in this mode provide brief eruptions of uplift — a necessary counterbalance.
—Elias Leight, Billboard, 28 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Lynsey Addario, The Atlantic, 12 May 2025
On a long album full of romantic vitriol and emotional desolation, songs in this mode provide brief eruptions of uplift — a necessary counterbalance.
—Elias Leight, Billboard, 28 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolation
Noun
-
Matthew Tostevin What To Know The Line, the most ambitious piece of Neom, was unveiled as a pair of parallel 500-meter-tall skyscrapers stretching through the desert.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
-
Cuyama Badlands, Santa Barbara, California With four RV/tent sites, two dedicated RV spots and two tent-only sites, this desert moonscape is perfect for stargazers.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
Cincinnati operates 41 restrooms in its 5,000-acre system, with plans to open six in disrepair by next year.—
Patricia Gallagher Newberry,
The Enquirer,
4 July 2025
-
But today, the dam sits abandoned and in disrepair, officials said.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
Only two divorcees responded with anything remotely reminiscent of misty-eyed melancholy.—
Hannah Pittard,
People.com,
8 July 2025
-
But the title track from his 1969 LP — a platinum-seller enshrined in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry — is perhaps his most impressive harmonic achievement, with a key change in the verse that lends a touch of melancholy to the song’s message of protest.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2025
Noun
-
July 6, 2025: A large scale of destruction in Georgetown, downed trees show the aftermath of raging floodwaters in the South San Gabriel River.—
Hannah Parry
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
-
There remain concerns that more rain in the coming days could cause additional destruction.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
This projection was so oft repeated in the media that many Americans, especially Democrats, believed a depression was imminent.—
E.J. Antoni,
Boston Herald,
13 July 2025
-
Later that day, Barry made landfall near the city of Tampico, on Mexico’s east coast, and weakened to a tropical depression.—
Elizabeth Kolbert,
New Yorker,
12 July 2025
Noun
-
The bacteria causing havoc for summer swimmers include E.coli and Enterococcus — nasty germs often found in the feces of people and animals.—
Shreya Srinivasan,
NBC news,
3 July 2025
-
Cilic was never in the contest because of a foot blister that was causing havoc with pain and movement, something that was imperative against the balletic Federer.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
While State Farm contends that out-of-state losses do not directly affect Illinois premiums, at least one industry analyst said there is a potential connection.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
-
The effects could lead to closures, job losses, and weakening of the domestic textile and apparel industry.—
Mayu Saini,
Sourcing Journal,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
Loss of habitat, for any species, is the largest cause of extinction.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 July 2025
-
After decades of habitat destruction, unregulated hunting and industrial expansion, federal officials had already flagged more than 70 species at risk of extinction—with many more lining up behind them.—
Christine Peterson,
Wired News,
5 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desolation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolation. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share