1
as in sad
feeling unhappiness
she was forlorn when she found out the trip had been cancelled
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2
as in lonely
sad from lack of companionship or separation from others
a forlorn wanderer far from home
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3
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
a forlorn little town whose brief economic boom ended decades ago
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4
as in desperate
feeling or showing no hope
the forlorn expression of a candidate who knows that he hasn't a prayer of winning the election
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forlorn
John Rosen stars as the Petkoffs’ aging and forlorn servant Nicola.
—
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025
In other words, Steve is a lot to play, and the Oscar-winner throws himself into every forlorn expression, every kindly mentoring session, every manic bit of rushing to and fro as chaos reigns around him, every stumbling step toward self-medicating into oblivion.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
So who is right, the students, who plant themselves in the now, or the forlorn historian?
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
The only movement is that of goats who nibble the long grass that grows around the Cold War aircraft wrecks that litter this forlorn spot on Grenada’s east coast.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forlorn
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025
In other words, Steve is a lot to play, and the Oscar-winner throws himself into every forlorn expression, every kindly mentoring session, every manic bit of rushing to and fro as chaos reigns around him, every stumbling step toward self-medicating into oblivion.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
So who is right, the students, who plant themselves in the now, or the forlorn historian?
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
The only movement is that of goats who nibble the long grass that grows around the Cold War aircraft wrecks that litter this forlorn spot on Grenada’s east coast.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forlorn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forlorn
Adjective
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Everyone's a little sad in The Holdovers, Alexander Payne's charmingly sour comedy about a student stuck at his New England boarding school over the holidays with only his grouchy professor (Paul Giamatti) and the school cook (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) for company.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Nov. 2025
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The 25-year-old wide receiver is sad to see his teammates go, but trusts the vision of the New York front office.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The touching dramedy centers on a lonely American actor (Brendan Fraser) who, after seven years living in Tokyo, still feels like an outsider.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
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Phantom Son will center on Ronnie, a young and struggling runaway taken in by Audrey (Zellweger), a lonely woman whose own son was kidnapped twenty years earlier.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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When everything looks bleak, a woman holds it up victoriously.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
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New York — US stocks closed lower Thursday as concerns mounted about expensive tech stocks, and a risk-off sentiment spread through markets after new data showed a bleak outlook for the job market.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Britain ultimately lost not only because of Washington’s extraordinary tenacity in the war’s several mainland theaters, but also because the king’s men had to stage long sieges, wage desperate naval battles, and take mounting casualties on too many other fronts spread too far apart.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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Congress needs to go back in session because DC reporters are bored and desperate.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Pauline Collins, the exuberant British actress who inspired women — and men, too — to do something to change their unhappy lives with her Oscar-nominated and Olivier- and Tony-winning performances in Shirley Valentine, has died.—
Lisa de los Reyes,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
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That distaste didn’t hurt Spanberger and her ticket, because 18% of those unhappy voters backed her anyway.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The 29th edition of the fest is showing off its usual rich selection of progressive programming to be sure, but in terms of emotion, one viewer told co-directors Hilary Powell and Dan Edelstyn, films here are usually more about getting angry or perhaps somber.—
Will Tizard,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
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Elsewhere in the interview, Eilish discussed the music industry’s initial doubt that her introspective, more somber (and at times devastating) songs wouldn’t appeal to a wide audience.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Things take a turn for the whimsical when, with the help of some lightning — and later, Taffy’s tanning bed — Lisa finds a companion in an undead, Victorian-era Cole Sprouse, a hopeless romantic who communicates exclusively in grunts, and whose devotion to Lisa knows no bounds.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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The Jets are hopeless, with head coach Aaron Glenn pushing back on reporters weekly and owner Woody Johnson tossing his $40 million quarterback, Justin Fields, under the bus after another rough outing.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Developers are taking an extended break from a slumping San Diego area office market beset by empty space, depressed demand and high construction costs.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Nov. 2025
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Real wages remain depressed and economic growth has stalled.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forlorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forlorn. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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