1
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits
his desolation after his twin brother died was incurable
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in disrepair
the state of being unattended to or not cared for
the desolation of the abandoned garden
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in devastation
the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless
the nuclear attack resulted in a scene of utter desolation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of desolation
The arc goes from despair to rock-bottom desolation to fear and ultimately to the possibility of healing, though the movie is stubbornly unaffecting, despite the agonizingly raw pain and helplessness of Cumberbatch’s performance.
—
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Where is the message that can pull them out of the depths of desolation?
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025
McQueen’s previous films, Hunger and Shame, were about spiritual desolation, but 12 Years a Slave topped them in terms of depicting the cruelty of human beings and the limits of what one soul can take.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
Forgetting Abraham Lincoln Sarah Browne’s neglect of Lincoln, compared with the ceaseless remembrance of her daughter, did not lessen her desolation over the assassination.
—JSTOR Daily, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desolation
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Where is the message that can pull them out of the depths of desolation?
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025
McQueen’s previous films, Hunger and Shame, were about spiritual desolation, but 12 Years a Slave topped them in terms of depicting the cruelty of human beings and the limits of what one soul can take.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
Forgetting Abraham Lincoln Sarah Browne’s neglect of Lincoln, compared with the ceaseless remembrance of her daughter, did not lessen her desolation over the assassination.
—JSTOR Daily, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolation
Noun
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The holiday commemorates the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt, including their 40-year journey through the desert.—
Marc Levy,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Zedd brought his friends with him to the desert.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But reproductions eventually fell out of favor, and eventually into disrepair, locked away in storage or destroyed.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2025
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The club, which had fallen into disrepair in the six years Avila owned it, even with escalating mandatory dues, was closed in August, 2019.—
Linda Robertson,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The portrait of the melancholy Dane himself lacks gravitas, alas, which undercuts the existential power of the play.—
Karen D'Souza,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2025
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Quiet, melancholy Andrew slowly resigns himself to letting his sweet daughter go.—
Judy Berman,
TIME,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The April 4 announcement of the security zone expansion and the destruction of Umm al-Nasser demonstrates the IDF's continued military operations in Gaza and is an example of how quickly the conditions in Gaza have deteriorated since the ceasefire.—
Kerem Inal,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2025
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Here are the main players joining Joel and Ellie in fortified Jackson, Wyoming, five years after the Firefly destruction: Isabela Merced stars as Dina Who's Dina?—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This number will go up, more children will struggle—depression, hunger and more parts of their lives will spiral out of control.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Apr. 2025
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Families who lose a loved one are prone to mental health deficits such as depression, PTSD, and anxiety, compounded by feelings of guilt, self-blame, shame, and condemnation, often resulting in social isolation.—
William Mullane,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Several studies have found that polyphenols, especially tannins, can also play havoc with your iron supplement.—
Fiona Embleton,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2025
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The pandemic though wrought havoc on student achievement, with many learning gaps remaining nearly five years after schools first closed.—
Cory Turner,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Under the budget plan, overall NASA funding would drop to about $20 billion, down from $24.9 billion in fiscal year 2024, a loss of about 20%.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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Cunningham’s injuries, also extensive, were detailed in the lawsuit, including significant disfigurement, extensive surgical reconstruction and loss of mobility.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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As the Earth's climate cooled and the oceans' ecosystems changed, Megalodon may have struggled to find sufficient food, leading to its extinction.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin had an emotional meeting with a pair of dire wolves, but many fans have shared the same unimpressed response, not quite able to believe a species was brought back from extinction before Martin finished the next book in his A Song of Ice and Fire series.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desolation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolation. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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