1
as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern
a desultory search for something of interest on TV
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rambling
passing from one topic to another
a desultory discussion about the news of the day
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of desultory
Conversation at Mels Diner is desultory and disinclined to matters so impractical, uncomfortable.
—
David Searcy, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Yesterday’s desultory 37-20 loss to Kansas City left them at an ugly 1-3 on the season.
—Richard Deitsch, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
The story, originally conceived by Truffaut, is a thin, desultory affair, about a French hoodlum on the run and his doomed fling with an American expat.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2025
In a somewhat desultory Virginia childhood, fishing with my father was a recurring motif.
—AFAR Media, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desultory
David Searcy, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Yesterday’s desultory 37-20 loss to Kansas City left them at an ugly 1-3 on the season.
—Richard Deitsch, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
The story, originally conceived by Truffaut, is a thin, desultory affair, about a French hoodlum on the run and his doomed fling with an American expat.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2025
In a somewhat desultory Virginia childhood, fishing with my father was a recurring motif.
—AFAR Media, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desultory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desultory
Adjective
-
Threema uses a random ID rather than a phone number.—
Jennifer Lutz,
New York Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
-
These simulations weren’t random.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The thinktank session was held at the rambling 40-acre Mettawa estate of another presidential also-ran, Adlai Stevenson II.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
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The writing can be rambling, unedited, and niche, or sharp, pristine, and relatable.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
His scattered family, like so many others, reflects the extraordinary exodus of almost 8 million Venezuelans — regarded as the largest-ever displacement of people in the Americas.—
Mery Mogollon,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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More scattered sleet, snow and ice are expected for the afternoon, before widespread precipitation is predicted to return Saturday night.—
Julia James,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Even a wandering horse, after all, still moves the caravan forward.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
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Stargazers looking to upgrade their gear should read our picks of the best telescopes and binoculars for exploring the night sky, while photographers should read our guide to imaging wandering comets, along with our roundups of the top cameras and lenses for astrophotography.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The colonists were subject to arbitrary taxation, warrantless searches, standing armies in their homes, and other evils at the hands of the crown.—
Agustina Vergara Cid,
Oc Register,
15 Feb. 2026
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Judges could reason the NCAA interpreting rules to allow pros from some leagues, but not others, is hypocritical and arbitrary.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Direct and indirect stock holdings, including mutual funds or retirement plans, accounted for an all-time high of 45% of households’ financial assets in the second quarter of 2025, according to Federal Reserve data.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation left for the Swiss city after the first round of indirect talks took place in Oman last week.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
His performances were erratic and the number of costly errors kept mounting.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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However, in recent years, temperature and weather patterns have been erratic, and winters have become shorter and warmer.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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While forming a global network of thinkers, the IPS has developed over the past five years to critically examine the material, discursive, and aesthetic scope of everything that might fall under the heading of postnatural.—
Catherine Taft,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
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The instructional promise of each episode was a bit, a starting point for discursive, funny, intermittently personal mini-essays that always started in Wilson’s beloved New York, but could and did make their way anywhere.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Desultory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desultory. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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