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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Though the courts have not invariably ruled against Trump, the Administration’s record so far is, to use one of the President’s favorite words, sad.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
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The sad story of Alex Verdugo was one of the most puzzling dramas of the MLB offseason.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Community service for an increasingly lonely, isolated society?—
Nate Rogers,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2025
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According to recent Gallup data, approximately 20% of U.S. adults report feeling lonely every day.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The observations from Drewry’s and Moody’s, as well as the scenario floated by McCown, follow a bleak outlook for the middle of May out of the biggest port in the U.S.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
25 Apr. 2025
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These economic concerns echo findings from a Federal Reserve survey last week that said Americans’ view of the economy is bleak — and getting worse.—
Shannon Carroll,
Quartz,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Escape As terror swept through the city, thousands of desperate Alawites fled.—
Christina Goldbaum,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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The quiet city of Medford, Oregon was shaken by Maggie Friar's desperate 911 call in the early morning hours of Oct. 2, 2017.—
Natalie Morales, Richard Fetzer,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Some 59% of voters are unhappy with how things are going in the country.—
Dana Blanton,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2025
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Particularly now that Americans are unhappy with the state of economy.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
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The food and atmosphere had people from across the city willing to venture to a desolate stretch of Bushwick.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Feeling hopeless in her quest to stop Crawford and help Delia get her life back, Elsbeth confronts the boastful judge, who is riding high on his rising star and his triumph over her.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2025
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Chelsea Smith thought that celebrities, feeling empty and hopeless even with all their success, could benefit from the Gospel.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The detective here, blending a couple of characters from the book, is Inspector Leach, a depressed drinker so unkempt one wonders why he hasn’t been put on administrative leave.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2025
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To my dismay, the leader started feeling depressed rather than taking the actions that were most required.—
Sonal Jain,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forlorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forlorn. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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