as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
grew up in the kind of godforsaken town in which everyone drank in order to forget that they were there
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Recent Examples of godforsaken
Viewed from a distance through a telephoto lens, his demise in a godforsaken town, at the hands of Somoza’s troops, is random, scruffy, and dumb.
—
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
First, the company claims credit for turning central Florida from a godforsaken wasteland into a thriving economic engine for the entire state.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2023
Deep down part of me hoped that this godforsaken place would burn to the ground — after all the prisoners had escaped, of course.
—Kylie Moore-Gilbert, CNN, 24 Oct. 2022
This game, this godforsaken 20-20 tie, was two bad teams racing to the bottom and getting there at the same time.
—Gregg Doyel, USA TODAY, 12 Sep. 2022
See All Example Sentences for godforsaken
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
First, the company claims credit for turning central Florida from a godforsaken wasteland into a thriving economic engine for the entire state.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2023
Deep down part of me hoped that this godforsaken place would burn to the ground — after all the prisoners had escaped, of course.
—Kylie Moore-Gilbert, CNN, 24 Oct. 2022
This game, this godforsaken 20-20 tie, was two bad teams racing to the bottom and getting there at the same time.
—Gregg Doyel, USA TODAY, 12 Sep. 2022
See All Example Sentences for godforsaken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for godforsaken
Adjective
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Her family later learned that on April 23, 2021 — the day Parker found his aunt in a bleak mood — Dee had an angry confrontation over financial issues with two employees of the trucking company.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
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Some of Tarr’s most memorable scenes feature landscapes, often bleak and despairing settings of decaying Hungarian towns, punctuated with close-ups of characters’ faces.—
John Penner,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Sátántangó’s desolate landscapes, dominated by mud, wind, and overcast skies, summoned a vision of earthly purgatory unrivaled in almost all of cinema.—
Tim Grierson,
Rolling Stone,
6 Jan. 2026
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Thanksgiving is desolate with freezing rain.—
Allegra Goodman,
New Yorker,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The patient thriller finds Agnes lonely in her seedy motel, with a phone that often rings, though the person on the other end of the line never speaks.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
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Namir Smallwood stars opposite Coon as Peter, a paranoid former soldier and mysterious drifter who meets her character Agnes, a lonely waitress.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Don't feel afraid to play with bold (but dark) colors and various materials.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
8 Jan. 2026
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Open my soul to the vast dark places.—
Gwen Faulkenberry,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In the story, there is a lot of comedy that naturally arises from tragic moments, from dark, depressing moments.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
10 Jan. 2026
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This is par for the course, because conversations are confusing, even depressing.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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During high-stress situations, accepting negative emotions rather than avoiding them can reduce depressive symptoms.—
Stacy Shaw,
Fortune,
26 Dec. 2025
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During high-stress situations, accepting negative emotions rather than avoiding them can reduce depressive symptoms.—
Stacy Shaw,
The Conversation,
18 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Following the game, the Panthers’ locker room was somber.—
Mike Kaye
Updated January 11,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
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Pastor Rickie Rush, founder of IBOC, led the rest of the somber ceremony.—
Uwa Ede-Osifo,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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More than five hours after the crash, there was a solemn procession off of Route 146 led by Massachusetts State Police, followed by the medical examiner and fellow police officers.—
Anna Meiler,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
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That this is a serious matter—not slight at all—does not oblige the author of a seriously funny book to be solemn.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Godforsaken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/godforsaken. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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