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
Today, many are boarded up, lying forlorn and derelict or caught in legal tangles between former owners’ descendants; others have been demolished to make way for modern developments, with the antiques and timber sold off by owners.
—
Kalpana Sunder, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
Watch on Deadline Dusty is a quiet guy and O’Connor, probably not a casting director’s idea of a cowboy, really manages to show us who this young man is, often with just his forlorn facial expressions rather than the limited dialogue he is given in many scenes.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2025
The area still had a slightly forlorn air, with stores boarded up and a few tent villages.
—Tony Perrottet, Travel + Leisure, 25 Jan. 2025
But across the street from Sherwood’s gorgeous new house — white with dark trim and cheerful flowers in the front yard — is still an empty lot, a forlorn swimming pool surrounded by chain-link fencing the only reminder of what used to be.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forlorn
Kalpana Sunder, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
Watch on Deadline Dusty is a quiet guy and O’Connor, probably not a casting director’s idea of a cowboy, really manages to show us who this young man is, often with just his forlorn facial expressions rather than the limited dialogue he is given in many scenes.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2025
The area still had a slightly forlorn air, with stores boarded up and a few tent villages.
—Tony Perrottet, Travel + Leisure, 25 Jan. 2025
But across the street from Sherwood’s gorgeous new house — white with dark trim and cheerful flowers in the front yard — is still an empty lot, a forlorn swimming pool surrounded by chain-link fencing the only reminder of what used to be.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forlorn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forlorn
Adjective
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For someone who prizes roadside Americana, this is the visual version of the sad trombone sound.—
Christopher Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
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After the show, there's booze, girls, and hotel suites, but Abel's locked in the bathroom, being sad.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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Health officials have said the United States is facing a mental health crisis, and in 2023, nearly 1 in 4 adults around the world reported feeling fairly or very lonely.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
17 May 2025
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Similarly, a cat was sent to a shelter after 10 years in a home after his owner passed away, leaving him lonely and searching for a new home.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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The latest Email Threat Trends Report from VIPRE paints a bleak picture.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
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Related article Putin just called Trump’s bluff on Ukraine, with the Russian art of the ‘no’ deal Ukraine in 2025 is a bleak prospect.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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But this doesn’t mean that the Angelika is desperate, Carter said.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
13 May 2025
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The defense clamped down, holding the Maple Leafs to just 12 shots on goal through the first two periods before Toronto got desperate in the third and started getting more pucks on net in the final 20 minutes.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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However, the Palestinians are unhappy with the speed of FIFA’s inquiries.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
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Their presidential candidate, Erika Meza, a 25-year veteran teacher from the Southeast Side, is unhappy with what CTU has come to symbolize.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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A lot of people have this idea of the north as being cold and desolate, and maybe people, once upon a time, lived up there, but don't anymore.—
Dana Feldman,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
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The Memphis rapper began the show with dramatics, rising on a giant platform with her back to the audience as a screen behind her projected the image of a desolate street.—
John Lonsdale,
Rolling Stone,
12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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That is until a mysterious someone starts sending strange gifts to hopeless widower Henry (Sheen) and his two bickering children, Will and Ella.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
8 May 2025
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Thus, all eyes turn to Antetokounmpo, much as all eyes did on Lillard as his situation in Portland grew increasingly hopeless in 2022 and 2023.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Never as rich as its aesthetics intimate, the U.S. met the nineties financially—and, therefore, spiritually—depressed.—
Lauren Michele Jackson,
New Yorker,
10 May 2025
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Though fun is a funny word to use considering Thunderbolts is all about depressed anti-heroes looking for a sense of purpose.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
3 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forlorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forlorn. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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