desolation

noun

ˌde-sə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce desolation (audio)
Definition of desolationnext
1
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits his desolation after his twin brother died was incurable

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2
as in desert
land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops looked out over the vast untamed desolation to the north

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3
as in disrepair
the state of being unattended to or not cared for the desolation of the abandoned garden

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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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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 Mad Max desolation and Hollywood glam meet in the Nevada desert every September during Burning Man — and even the industry’s most famous don’t pass up the annual opportunity to torch the giant wicker man. — Alyssa Modos, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026 Some had waited for decades, but the priest learned, more or less, how to accompany people through years of confinement and isolation without losing himself in their desolation. — Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 30 June 2026 There’s only desolation and nothingness. — Literary Hub, 26 June 2026 Every street presents a tableaux of desolation. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for desolation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolation
  1. sadness
  2. desert
  3. disrepair
  4. devastation
  5. melancholy
  6. destruction
  7. depression
  8. havoc
Noun
  • And that is what produces, for me, the anger and the rage and the sadness.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Fortuna noted rapid surveys also found that children with at least one immigrant parent are more likely to experience nightmares and higher levels of sadness.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • The kingdom’s flagship business summit, the Future Investment Initiative (FII), dubbed ‘Davos in the desert’ is due to be held in under two weeks.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Its border with Yemen stretches more than 800 miles through rugged desert areas.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of desert
Noun
  • After falling into disrepair during the Civil War, the property was bought by Eliza Middleton Huger Smith, who went to work restoring it.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Historic preservation of the Excelsior Club Last year, Kennedy noted that the building was in disrepair and unsalvageable.
    — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of disrepair
Noun
  • Whatever one believes about the allegations against the couple, the devastation of watching an academic and media career disintegrate in real time is difficult to dismiss.
    — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Category 3 storms are considered major hurricanes and are capable of causing devastation.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of devastation
Noun
  • The question for me is whether or not Lloyd will also manage to capture the melancholy of a deceptively serious play, notwithstanding its reputation.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • On the one hand, there’s a fascination with collective joy and the forms of vernacular invention that aspire to it; on the other, there’s an underlying melancholy that points to the inevitability of isolation, an epistemology of loneliness.
    — Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of melancholy
Noun
  • Although television coverage suggested the capital had escaped the widespread structural destruction visible in communities closer to the epicenter, the earthquake caused major disruptions to daily life.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
  • In the heady satire about elites causing worldwide climate destruction, Cruise plays the titular Digger Rockwell, an out-of-touch oil tycoon.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of destruction
Noun
  • The initiative’s goal is by 2030 to have empowered 3 million people to recognize the early signs of anxiety and depression, and take steps toward helping those.
    — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In addition to fentanyl, toxicology tests detected alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax; the muscle relaxant methocarbamol; and quetiapine, a medication primarily used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and, in some cases, depression.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of depression
Noun
  • The storms have caused flooding, havoc and devastation in several parts of Chile.
    — Nayara Batschke, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • So where does this rank among the wackiest havoc ever wreaked by domes on innocent baseballs?
    — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of havoc

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Cite this Entry

“Desolation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolation. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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