1
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits
his desolation after his twin brother died was incurable
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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 neighborhood/area While visitors are encouraged to tour Cockburn Harbor, South Caicos’s capital and largest settlement, the island’s appeal is its desolation.
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Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
Ochoa’s snide speech about his privileged private school becomes a wrenching aria of desolation and need.
—
Steven Winn,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
But with the seventh plague, the degree of desolation increases.
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Encyclopedia Britannica,
31 Mar. 2026
Only death and desolation in the end.
—
Harvey Levine,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
Ochoa’s snide speech about his privileged private school becomes a wrenching aria of desolation and need.
—
Steven Winn,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
But with the seventh plague, the degree of desolation increases.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
31 Mar. 2026
Only death and desolation in the end.
—
Harvey Levine,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolation
Noun
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Fear, joy, surprise, sadness, excitement.
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Exceeding expectations As a trip set mainly in concentration camps, sadness is often the top expectation.
Noun
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Every year, about 90% of Central Oregon’s Deschutes River disappears into networks of canals and pipes traversing high desert.
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Extreme fire conditions were expected in Utah on Friday, with wind gusting up to 50 mph and low humidity across the southwest desert and central and southern mountains, including the area of the Cottonwood fire.
Noun
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It was originally built as a private cabin resembling a ship in the 1970s but had fallen into disrepair, which led her to christen the property the Shipwreck.
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Detroit neighborhoods emptied out and fell into disrepair.
Noun
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Following years of economic devastation and underinvestment in public services, the country’s infrastructure – from hospitals to electricity and water – is ill-equipped to deal with a crisis like this.
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And then there's water damage and the devastation caused by flooding.
Noun
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Beneath all the sensuality and beauty, there’s also a lingering melancholy that feels very familiar to me.
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Early Years Eichenberg recounted his childhood with some melancholy.
Noun
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David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, told the the Washington Post he was arrested on June 19 and charged with misdemeanor destruction of government property.
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This came on the heels of another round of tornadoes just four days earlier that leveled buildings and caused widespread destruction across the region.
Noun
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About 10% of fathers develop symptoms like depression and anxiety during the perinatal period, which lasts from pregnancy through the first year after childbirth.
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Many Americans rely on ACA coverage to afford medications to treat various diseases such as diabetes, asthma, depression and autoimmune diseases.
Noun
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But in recent weeks, the fish have wreaked havoc for fishermen off the coast of Crete and several other Greek islands, chomping through nets.
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Heat and humidity can wreak havoc on their circuitry and batteries.
Cite this Entry
“Desolation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolation. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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