1
as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern
a desultory search for something of interest on TV
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2
as in rambling
passing from one topic to another
a desultory discussion about the news of the day
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Recent Examples of desultory
But by the early 1970s, he was ravaged by drug addiction, kicking off a cycle of spirals and comebacks and sporadic, desultory live appearances.
—
Rob Tannenbaum, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2025
Its most striking element is a tall glassy lobby that will provide a grand entrance from the new plaza, but the rest of the building is driven by functional massing that’s been sheathed with a desultory screen of metal and glass.
—Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2025
Daniel Gordon’s film focused on the 100-meter final at the Seoul Olympics, a race that was dominated by Ben Johnson, who then abdicated the crown after a positive steroid test, leaving Carl Lewis as the desultory victor.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2025
But the Academy really didn’t go for Revolutionary Road, which received a Supporting Actor nod for Michael Shannon (back row, 11th from right) and desultory nominations for Art Direction and Costume Design but nothing for Winslet or her co-star Leonardo DiCaprio.
—Zach Schonfeld, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desultory
Rob Tannenbaum, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2025
Its most striking element is a tall glassy lobby that will provide a grand entrance from the new plaza, but the rest of the building is driven by functional massing that’s been sheathed with a desultory screen of metal and glass.
—Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2025
Daniel Gordon’s film focused on the 100-meter final at the Seoul Olympics, a race that was dominated by Ben Johnson, who then abdicated the crown after a positive steroid test, leaving Carl Lewis as the desultory victor.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2025
But the Academy really didn’t go for Revolutionary Road, which received a Supporting Actor nod for Michael Shannon (back row, 11th from right) and desultory nominations for Art Direction and Costume Design but nothing for Winslet or her co-star Leonardo DiCaprio.
—Zach Schonfeld, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desultory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desultory
Adjective
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But all that information exists in random, unorganized disorder.—
Jerry Weissman,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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Watch any random movie in the Cannes selection and you’re bound to see a parade of opening credits signaling production resources from across Europe, including many national film funds.—
Eric Kohn,
HollywoodReporter,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Refine your key points to be clear and concise—no rambling monologues.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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In the early morning hours of Dec. 26, 1996, Patsy Ramsey called 911 to report her 6-year-old daughter JonBenét missing, and found a rambling ransom note left inside their Boulder, Colorado, home.—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Love: Chi, The Spa Rest your wandering feet at the Shangri-La’s lower level spa, complete with a gardenside pool fit for royalty.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
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The film is narrated in the languages of the cultures the characters move through, as Burmese gives way to Thai, to Vietnamese, and beyond — a wandering, collective dream.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Businesses now live in fear of retroactive rulings, arbitrary penalties and endless audits.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
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The risks include wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure.—
Nick Butler,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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While the animals couldn’t communicate to confirm whether the technology was working, their behaviors and physiology provided indirect clues to the team.—
Margherita Bassi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 May 2025
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For one, there’s the notion of indirect value, which is hard to quantify for software providers that aren’t in the business of sales enablement solutions.—
Chris Mele,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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In the wake of multiple plane crashes, and amid erratic federal policies and denials and detentions at border crossings, summer travel in the U.S. is in an uneasy state.—
Kevinisha Walker,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2025
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Orlov was statistically consistent, but his defensive play was often erratic.—
Cory Lavalette,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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And it’s also arrived at a particular moment, in a particular discursive world, in which opinions are strong, objections are instant, and differences are emphasized.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
27 May 2025
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Set entirely in Linda’s Manhattan apartment, the film freely and imaginatively recreates that long-ago afternoon and the wonderfully discursive exchange between these two singular individuals.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
4 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desultory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desultory. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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