GODFORSAKEN Synonyms: 115 Similar and Opposite Words

godforsaken

adjective

ˈgäd-fər-ˌsā-kən

Definition of godforsaken

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of godforsaken Anchored by the tenderness of Comer’s performance (the actress’ movie star glamour futilely undermined by a godforsaken pageboy cut), Sister Brigid offers herself as proof that old wounds can be tended into blooming gardens of love, and Robin is thus inspired to rewrite his own legend. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 11 June 2026 Sachs is attuned to both the costs and the pleasures of living in the godforsaken place known as New York. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Nov. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for godforsaken

Recent Examples of Synonyms for godforsaken

Adjective

Tonally, the film is torn between wanting to be brutally bleak and offering some kind of hope for Murphy and his precocious, adorable daughter.

— Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Max was born in 1937 in Berlin to German-Jewish parents who fled the city from the occupation of Nazis in 1938 to Shanghai, where the artist discovered bright colors, a stark contrast from his parents’ bleak past.

— Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of bleak

Adjective

With its fragile acoustic melodies, desolate lyrics, and spare, subtle studio accompaniment, Ride Lonesome is like Nick Drake’s mumble-folk masterpiece Bryter Layter as the work of a lovelorn Laurel Canyon soft-rock poet.

— Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2026
Making matters worse, those same neighborhoods are some of the city’s most desolate transit deserts.

— Al Sharpton, New York Daily News, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of desolate

Adjective

If the rumors are true, the M6 could end up being a lonely chip.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026
No one should have to endure a procedure as unsafe as hers, yet even safety doesn’t always guarantee respite from fear, pain, and grief—feelings that one-note sloganeering about empowerment relegate to a lonely darkness.

— Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of lonely

Adjective

Beaches emptied out and dark clouds swirled above choppy seas, while Mexican authorities temporarily suspended classes in a number of areas on Tuesday.

— DESIREE BROOKS, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
Set against these dark parts of the educational system, Lee convincingly casts hagwons as third spaces that advance the hopes of an entire community.

— Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of dark

Adjective

Research has found that low serotonin levels could lead to the return of clinically significant depressive symptoms in people who have depression.

— Amber Raiken, Verywell Health, 18 Sep. 2026
This dichotomy, between depressive routine and the spark of something exciting, or even irksome, both informs each relationship, and clarifies (for the viewer) Arash’s state of mind the more his reasons are revealed.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of depressive

Adjective

All parents struggle in some way to adjust to life as empty nesters, but Charlie leaves his mom and dad in a somber, reflective state that casts a heavy pall over an episode that drifts toward the turgid.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
The clubhouse was somewhat somber Friday afternoon, with players still feeling shaken up after witnessing one of the scariest collisions many had ever seen on a baseball field.

— Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of somber

Adjective

Yom Kippur, which is coming on Monday, is the most solemn time on the Jewish calendar, is a day of introspection, self-examination, self-evaluation, and self-reflection.

— Marc Schneier, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
The night, centered on the foundation’s ongoing push to fund a cure and support those stigmatized by their HIV status, didn’t end on that solemn note.

— Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of solemn

Browse Nearby Words

God-fearing

godforsaken

godhead

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Godforsaken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/godforsaken. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of godforsaken

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compendious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes