1
as in sad
feeling unhappiness
she was forlorn when she found out the trip had been cancelled
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lonely
sad from lack of companionship or separation from others
a forlorn wanderer far from home
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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1
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits
seemingly nothing could relieve the losing team's forlornness
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forlorn
Julia Moore, People.com, 7 July 2025
His forlorn whale-eyes scanned left to right, eyebrows bobbing in turn.
—Literary Hub, 30 June 2025
San Diego is preparing to offer the forlorn and soon-to-be empty municipal building on the outskirts of the Civic Center for sale or lease.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2025
Now you were nailed to one spot, wearing this forlorn or broken expression.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for forlorn
Adjective
Alex, meanwhile, certainly seems to be enjoying his newfound popularity at school, which leaves Jackie looking forlorn and feeling left behind in the teaser.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 7 July 2025
His forlorn whale-eyes scanned left to right, eyebrows bobbing in turn.
—Literary Hub, 30 June 2025
San Diego is preparing to offer the forlorn and soon-to-be empty municipal building on the outskirts of the Civic Center for sale or lease.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2025
Now you were nailed to one spot, wearing this forlorn or broken expression.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for forlorn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forlorn
Adjective
-
The song’s a lonely and sad tale, with the narrator pondering his state in the back of the long, white Cadillac.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
30 Aug. 2025
-
The whole situation is sad for a number of reasons.—
Will McGough,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
But when Shapiro demoed it on piano, Stiller recognized a spiritual cousin to David Shire’s lonely, somewhat jazzy solo piano score for The Conversation.—
Tim Greiving,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Revenge is a piping-hot casserole, graciously presented to a lonely ex-tormentor.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The fiscal prospects for both Chicago and its transit authority are bleak.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Europe’s biggest economy Germany shrank more than expected in the second quarter of the year and faces a bleak outlook.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Some of the images from Katrina have been indelible, too − of desperate people trapped for days on their roofs or in their attics to get above the floodwaters and of thousands taking chaotic refuge in the Superdome.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
-
The Yankees were in desperate need of stability at third base and hoped McMahon could be that player.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
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What started out of desperation quickly became a calling to build something lasting.—
Jenn Rice,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
-
Vekić, hampered by an arm injury, was serving as poorly as Gauff, which only heightened the air of desperation in Arthur Ashe Stadium.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
And a surprising amount of grace from staff who, although unhappy with the changes, felt respected.—
Taazima Kala,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
-
The Heat, at the time, wanted to dump Lowry — who was unhappy about his diminished role — and believed Rozier would give Miami an offensive infusion.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The film opens in the desolate Arctic, where Victor has chased his creation, and flashes back as Frankenstein relates his life’s story to a Danish sea captain whose ship is stuck in the ice.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
30 Aug. 2025
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Springsteen wouldn’t even allow his photo to appear on the album cover, instead choosing a black-and-white image from the POV of the inside of a car traveling down a desolate highway on a cloudy day.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Needless to say, that sounds like a good fit for the rather hopeless Battlestar Galactica universe.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
20 Aug. 2025
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You? Consider these numbers: 44% report feeling persistently hopeless.—
Todd Nordstrom,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forlorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forlorn. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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