Synonyms of desert

desert 1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈde-zərt 

as in barren

land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops

we were lost in the desert for days without food

Synonyms & Similar Words

• barren
• wasteland
• wilderness
• desolation
• heath
• bush
• waste
• no-man's-land
• wild
• badland
• brush
• outdoors
• dust bowl
• open
• out-of-doors
• open air
• nature

desert

2 of 4

noun (2)

di-ˈzərt 

as in discipline

usually deserts plural suffering, loss, or hardship imposed in response to a crime or offense

the robbers got their just deserts

Synonyms & Similar Words

• discipline
• correction
• assessment
• punishment
• penalty
• sentence
• fine
• wrath
• criticism
• chastisement
• charge
• nemesis
• revenge
• comeuppance
• retaliation
• castigation
• vengeance
• retribution
• example
• confinement
• reprisal
• incarceration
• imprisonment
• condemnation
• damnation
• rebuke
• reproof
• censure
• reprimand
• mulct
• denouncement

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• parole
• indemnity
• pardon
• amnesty
• exemption
• immunity
• acquittal
• vindication
• impunity
• exoneration
• release
• exculpation
• forgiveness
• reprieve
• disregard
• commutation
• remission
• absolution
• overlooking
• condonation
• remitment

desert

3 of 4

verb

di-ˈzərt 

1

as in to abandon

to leave (a cause or party) often in order to take up another

the volunteer became disillusioned with his candidate and deserted to a political rival

Synonyms & Similar Words

• abandon
• reject
• leave
• withdraw
• defect (from)
• jump ship
• forsake
• cut off
• run out on
• walk out on
• rat (on)
• go back on
• renounce
• go
• spurn
• quit
• disown
• abjure
• abdicate
• repudiate
• depart
• renege
• apostatize

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• adhere (to)
• stick (to or with)
• foster
• cling (to)
• cultivate
• cherish

2

as in to leave

to cause to remain behind

deserted the kids at the food court for some independent shopping

Synonyms & Similar Words

• leave
• abandon
• forsake
• strand
• dump
• ditch
• escape
• maroon
• walk out on
• walk away from
• quit
• fling
• shed
• throw away
• cut off
• sacrifice
• scrap
• discard
• withdraw (from)
• throw out
• separate (from)
• relinquish
• retreat (from)
• junk
• vacate
• hand over
• forget
• ignore
• surrender
• give up
• renounce
• distance
• take off (from)
• reject
• yield
• neglect
• shuck (off)
• jettison
• disregard
• deliver
• repudiate
• disown
• abjure

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• have
• own
• keep
• possess
• reserve
• hold
• retain
• reclaim
• withhold
• save
• harbor
• redeem
• rescue

desert

4 of 4

adjective

as in arid

Synonyms & Similar Words

• arid
• dry
• waterless
• thirsty
• rainless
• droughty
• sere
• consumed
• sunbaked
• parched
• depleted
• sear
• dehydrated
• spent
• diminished
• exhausted
• drained
• debilitated
• baked
• reduced
• enfeebled
• dried-up
• expended
• inhospitable
• uncultivable
• lessened
• lifeless
• used up
• desolate
• barren
• bankrupted
• bleak
• untillable
• impoverished
• unfertile
• hardscrabble
• infertile
• waste
• bony
• unproductive
• poor
• stark
• dead
• boney

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fertile
• rich
• productive
• fruitful
• lush
• luxuriant
• green
• arable
• tillable
• verdant
• sylvan

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb desert contrast with its synonyms?

The words abandon and forsake are common synonyms of desert. While all three words mean "to leave without intending to return," desert implies that the object left may be weakened but not destroyed by one's absence.

a deserted town

Where would abandon be a reasonable alternative to desert?

The words abandon and desert can be used in similar contexts, but abandon suggests that the thing or person left may be helpless without protection.

abandoned children

When would forsake be a good substitute for desert?

The meanings of forsake and desert largely overlap; however, forsake suggests an action more likely to bring impoverishment or bereavement to that which is forsaken than its exposure to physical dangers.

a forsaken lover

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of desert

Noun

Plan your ceremony around the desert sunset before breaking for a night of dinner and dancing. —Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 21 Mar. 2025

At Tanque Verde Ranch, one of the country’s top dude ranches, riders can meander through desert washes (seasonally dry riverbeds), climb rocky hillsides, and experience the quiet solitude of the open desert. —Visit Tucson, AFAR Media, 21 Mar. 2025

Verb

The 5% of Russian troops who desert at some point in their military service roughly match the 5% of American troops who deserted during the Vietnam War in the 1960s and early ‘70s. —David Axe, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025

These fighters were the anti-fascist Resistance—men who’d deserted the armies of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini and were preparing to fight for freedom. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2025

Adjective

Cocktail grapefruit grows wherever conventional grapefruit grows, although fruit quality is best, as with grapefruit generally, in desert or semi-desert conditions. —Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2025

The temporary ban applies to areas within the South Coast Air Basin, which includes Orange County and non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, according to a news release from the agency. —Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2022