1
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
a desolate house abandoned many years ago
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2
as in lonely
sad from lack of companionship or separation from others
he was less desolate after adopting a rescue dog
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3
as in deserted
left unoccupied or unused
a desolate mining town that had its brief heyday more than a century ago
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4
as in barren
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
wild, desolate plains on which only the hardiest could survive
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as in to ruin
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
totally desolated the city with aerial bombs
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of desolate
Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 25 May 2025
See a camera operator following Snook to a desolate corner?
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 May 2025
The location is on federal land just north of the U.S.-Mexico border along a desolate stretch of the Sonoran Desert about 72 miles south-southwest of Tucson.
—Doha Madani, NBC news, 5 May 2025
Even the trailers for Superman have echos of the Man of Steel and Batman v Superman trailers, including starting with Superman falling out of the sky into a desolate Arctic area.
—Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desolate
Adjective
When The Last of Us premiered back in 2023, there was massive chatter surrounding Pascal and his penchant for rescuing desolate children in TV shows.
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 25 May 2025
See a camera operator following Snook to a desolate corner?
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 May 2025
The location is on federal land just north of the U.S.-Mexico border along a desolate stretch of the Sonoran Desert about 72 miles south-southwest of Tucson.
—Doha Madani, NBC news, 5 May 2025
Even the trailers for Superman have echos of the Man of Steel and Batman v Superman trailers, including starting with Superman falling out of the sky into a desolate Arctic area.
—Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desolate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolate
Adjective
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The somewhat bleak outlook was laid bare Tuesday night after the USMNT was thrashed 4-0 by Switzerland during a friendly in Nashville.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
11 June 2025
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Instead of learning from this bleak recent history, Americans are now painfully absorbing this lesson by repeating it.—
Jonathan Haskel,
Foreign Affairs,
10 June 2025
Adjective
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On social media, there’s a certain kind of influencer who specializes in attracting lonely, unhappy people by brandishing mantras and principles that will allegedly lead them to more fulfilled and successful lives.—
Jia Tolentino,
New Yorker,
23 June 2025
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Over in her Hawaiian home land, 19-year-old Nani (Tia Carrere) has been trying her best to fend for herself and her lonely little sister Lilo (beautifully voiced by young Daveigh Chase) in the absence of their parents.—
Michael Rechtshaffen,
HollywoodReporter,
22 June 2025
Adjective
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Richards’ finish saved the U.S. in what was otherwise a listless appearance in front of a barren home crowd at Austin FC’s Q2 Stadium.—
Paul Tenorio,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
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Transatlantic flights from northern Europe — London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Copenhagen — routinely cross the southern half of the island, the bright, barren ice sheet often visible for up to an hour of cruising speed.—
Morten Høi Jensen,
The Dial,
19 June 2025
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Sara Schilling,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2025
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The front nine, which has ruined more than a handful of U.S. Open rounds over the last two days, proved to be much tougher.—
Troy Finnegan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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Its reversible design features dark stripes on one side made of 92 percent wool, 4 percent polyester, and 4 percent cotton, and the opposite side is made from 100 percent cotton in the solid natural color.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
15 June 2025
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The Republican president, on his 79th birthday, sat in a special viewing stand south of the White House to watch the display of American military might, which began early and moved swiftly as light rain fell and dark clouds shrouded the Washington Monument.—
LOLITA C. BALDOR,
Arkansas Online,
15 June 2025
Adjective
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On his release, Stern went on to spend the 1950s ping-ponging between New York and California, for a time living on a disused laundry barge in Sausalito.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
3 Mar. 2025
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One of the most powerful scenes in Sugarcane takes place in a disused barn where, over a period of decades, Indigenous children worked under the lash.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In Zimbabwe, the Catholic Church operates about 100 schools, ranging from dozens in impoverished areas where annual tuition is as low as $150 to elite boarding schools that can charge thousands of dollars.—
Rodney Muhumuza,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
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Some government functions were eviscerated, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, which had provided a lifeline for impoverished people around the world.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 May 2025
Verb
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Kanye West fired multiple PR firms before his antisemitic meltdowns destroyed billion-dollar partnerships with Adidas and Gap.—
Lilian Raji,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Indeterminate numbers of casualties have occurred in both Iran and Israel, though Israel's intentions to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities may require U.S. artillery aid in the form of multi-ton bunker buster bombs.—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desolate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolate. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.
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