forlornness

noun

Definition of forlornnessnext
1
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits seemingly nothing could relieve the losing team's forlornness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in desperation
utter loss of hope with the forlornness of someone who had been disappointed many times before, he abandoned his quest

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for forlornness
  1. sadness
  2. desperation
  3. melancholy
  4. despair
  5. depression
  6. hopelessness
  7. mournfulness
  8. sorrow
Noun
  • Nonetheless, Simón stirs up the ineffable sadness that comes with wanting answers to the mysteries of your family — and then, like it or not, receiving them.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • There’s a frank sadness to nearly every scene, but also a tenderness and warmth between these two unlikely friends.
    — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • Their desperation comes as the Venezuelan government faces mounting criticism over its response to the crisis.
    — Isa Soares, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
  • Last week’s desperation deal for David Peterson, a one-time All-Star with the New York Mets, was only the start of a necessary overhaul.
    — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 29 June 2026
Definition of desperation
Noun
  • Beneath all the sensuality and beauty, there’s also a lingering melancholy that feels very familiar to me.
    — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 16 June 2026
  • Don Hertzfeldt occasionally comes to mind for a similarly pervasive mood of questioning, philosophical melancholy.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 12 June 2026
Definition of melancholy
Noun
  • Detainees had little access to recreational activities and time outside, which mental health experts say exacerbates their despair.
    — Perla Trevizo, ProPublica, 3 July 2026
  • Whether the episode amounted to anything beyond hearsay amid the ubiquitous sense of mass confusion and despair remains a question mark.
    — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of despair
Noun
  • The pair went all the way down to a 43-mile-wide and 1,500-mile-long depression in the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench, known as the Challenger Deep.
    — Bill Gourgey, Popular Science, 2 July 2026
  • The victim's mother also addressed the jury, blaming Rullan for her son's depression and anxiety and describing the emotional toll the abuse had taken on their family.
    — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of depression
Noun
  • But where some might see hopelessness, Ortiz sees an opportunity for connection.
    — Joy Resmovits for The Trace, CBS News, 23 June 2026
  • And when young people feel disconnected or believe systems are unresponsive to their daily experiences, that disconnection can deepen isolation and hopelessness.
    — Monica Gordon, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026
Definition of hopelessness
Noun
  • Power Ballad should be breezy and fun, with that twist of mournfulness that Carney is always so adept at pulling off.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 May 2026
Definition of mournfulness
Noun
  • President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the crash and offered condolences to the victims' families.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • Croatia’s World Cup exit was not without a fight, with a last-minute, stoppage time goal that likely had fans screaming at the TV in jubilation, and then in sorrow.
    — Alex Connor, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Definition of sorrow
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

forlornly
forlornness
form
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Forlornness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forlornness. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All