FORLORNNESS Synonyms: 111 Similar and Opposite Words

forlornness

noun

Definition of forlornness

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

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

Noun

And that is what produces, for me, the anger and the rage and the sadness.

— Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Fortuna noted rapid surveys also found that children with at least one immigrant parent are more likely to experience nightmares and higher levels of sadness.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of sadness

Noun

Without the timeout, where New York could have advanced the ball to midcourt, Stewart missed a desperation shot at the buzzer.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
Yet seemingly out of desperation, the nominees also have included total head-scratchers like Coldplay, Florence + the Machine, Matchbox Twenty, the Eagles — the fuckin’ Eagles, man!

— Jem Aswad, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of desperation

Noun

The question for me is whether or not Lloyd will also manage to capture the melancholy of a deceptively serious play, notwithstanding its reputation.

— Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
On the one hand, there’s a fascination with collective joy and the forms of vernacular invention that aspire to it; on the other, there’s an underlying melancholy that points to the inevitability of isolation, an epistemology of loneliness.

— Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of melancholy

Noun

Borisov’s brainy, tender, deeply contemplative performance lends an anchoring humanity to a film that might otherwise have curdled into sourness and despair — though there’s plenty of reason for that.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Ashley Flynn’s sister, Kayla Keyt, said during her victim statement that her family could not overcome their sense of shock and despair after learning that Flynn betrayed them in such a violent and horrible way.

— Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of despair

Noun

The initiative’s goal is by 2030 to have empowered 3 million people to recognize the early signs of anxiety and depression, and take steps toward helping those.

— Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
In addition to fentanyl, toxicology tests detected alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax; the muscle relaxant methocarbamol; and quetiapine, a medication primarily used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and, in some cases, depression.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of depression

Noun

According to 2025 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a third of youth have persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness — about 10% more than a decade earlier.

— Darius Tahir, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Corruption across the political divide Much of this year’s fatigue traces back to a sense of hopelessness over systemic corruption, which ranks among voters’ biggest concerns, yet neither camp can claim the issue as its own, say experts.

— Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of hopelessness

Noun

Because so many of Gunn’s friends died in San Francisco, a city where Gunn had found happiness and freedom, then these elegies are also a monument to a time of communal sorrow and mourning.

— Colm Tóibín, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
Another decision that those who are rejected face, at least if anger is mixed in with sorrow, is where to direct that anger.

— George Loewenstein, Vogue, 28 Sep. 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

Style

“Forlornness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forlornness. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of forlornness

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

nexus

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes