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
• ignore
• vacate
• hand over
• forget
• 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

Related Words

• arid
• dry
• waterless
• thirsty
• rainless
• droughty
• sere
• consumed
• sunbaked
• parched
• depleted
• 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

Dissimilar Words

• 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

But the most intriguing volcano hike is through the cloud forest and high-altitude desert of a mountain that most people have never heard of — Hualālai. —Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026

The Postpartum Hormone Plunge The primary culprit behind this sudden desert-dry texture is the dramatic hormonal nosedive that occurs immediately after childbirth. —Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 28 May 2026

Verb

Contrary to months of breathless headlines, the president’s base never deserted him and continues to punish those who defy him. —Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026

Set against the backdrop of Burns’ native city of Liverpool, the drama revolves around a 17-year-old soldier who deserts his post during the Iraq war. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 19 May 2026

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 South Coast Air Basin includes Orange County and non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. —David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025