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
The Stanley Cup-holding Florida Panthers got there with Friday night’s desultory 2-0 home loss to the Maple Leafs to put their second round series at 3-3.
—
Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 18 May 2025
Yet, the Raptors haven’t made the playoffs in the desultory East since 2022, when Philadelphia dispatched them in the first round.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 11 Apr. 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
The desultory attention to regional conditions compromises the book’s conclusions and recommendations.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for desultory
Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 18 May 2025
Yet, the Raptors haven’t made the playoffs in the desultory East since 2022, when Philadelphia dispatched them in the first round.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 11 Apr. 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
The desultory attention to regional conditions compromises the book’s conclusions and recommendations.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for desultory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desultory
Adjective
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The agreement says Campbell’s campaign was selected for audit at a random drawing in 2023.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
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The second verse is no less random, with lyrics about moonwalking on a UFO, dropping bars while brushing teeth and a shout out to legendary 2001 blaxploitation-adjacent comedy Pootie Tang.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The final part is a rather rambling segment philosophizing on proof of the afterlife—in line with dozens of similar texts from this era of psychical research.—
Alice Vernon
September 8,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
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The videos, which depict handwritten journals and a display of high-powered weaponry, paint a portrait of a person with a rambling and deeply nihilistic outlook, according to analyses by law enforcement and ABC News.—
Megan Forrester,
ABC News,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The threat for heavy rain in South Florida is diminishing, however typical scattered thunderstorms with locally heavy downpours are still possible in the area through the weekend.—
Kyle Reiman,
ABC News,
13 Sep. 2025
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The result was a mile-long line that turned scattered craftwork into synchronized production.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This shot of the wandering comet 12P/Pons-Brooks was taken in early 2024 around the solar maximum by Dan Bartlett, who was able to capture spectacular structural detail in the trail of the wandering solar system body.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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The caravan experience appealed to Bella, not because of the wandering but, rather, because Cuthbertson offered structure.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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And part of that structure is ensuring that the IRS consistently enforces the code without imposing arbitrary changes on certain taxpayers.—
Wayne Winegarden,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Both sides have also carried out arbitrary detentions, with SAF interrogating and beating dozens of Christians in 2024 and 2025.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This would result in lower interest payments on car loans, student loans and credit cards, though the effects are indirect and gradual.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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Transforming vacant lots in 52306 to green spaces One indirect way to combat violence is by investing in neighborhoods.—
Cleo Krejci,
jsonline.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Simmons attributed the early struggles to some erratic snaps by center Julius Pierce along with FIU’s inability to execute double-team blocks.—
Alex Krutchik,
Miami Herald,
14 Sep. 2025
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That same year, the actor was fired from the sitcom following a series of erratic public outbursts and reported clashes with showrunner Chuck Lorre.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Written in the flush of a new friendship with co-producer, engineer, and musician Sam Weber, the album unspools a suite of folk miniatures riven with discursive melodies as evocative as the cultural ephemera dotted through the lyrics.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
29 Aug. 2025
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Kate Zambreno’s Animal Stories, the newest installment in the publisher’s Undelivered Lectures series, relates Nabokov’s anecdote as part of a searching, charmingly discursive meditation on zoos.—
Book Marks
August 28,
Literary Hub,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desultory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desultory. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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