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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of desolation
How will the last cockeyed optimist in popular culture deal with the desolation of a husband’s death?
—
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025
Wildfires in the Los Angeles area still burn, but the desolation has already left 10 dead and more than 10,000 structures destroyed.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
But Joao Felix, whose miss means Portugal are out, is a picture of desolation — hands on head, shirt in mouth.
—Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 9 July 2024
Drama, comedy, romance, elation and desolation are all fluidly threaded into the story, as are tunes that range from humorous numbers to intimate expressions of solitude to rousing reaffirmations of solidarity in challenging circumstances.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025
Wildfires in the Los Angeles area still burn, but the desolation has already left 10 dead and more than 10,000 structures destroyed.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
But Joao Felix, whose miss means Portugal are out, is a picture of desolation — hands on head, shirt in mouth.
—Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 9 July 2024
Drama, comedy, romance, elation and desolation are all fluidly threaded into the story, as are tunes that range from humorous numbers to intimate expressions of solitude to rousing reaffirmations of solidarity in challenging circumstances.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolation
Noun
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That's not to say that all planets that pass through the hot Neptune desert lose their gaseous envelopes in this same way.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
31 Mar. 2025
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In addition, strong winds over desert areas could result in briefly lowered visibilities to well under a mile at times in blowing dust or blowing sand.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Image On the other side of East 138th Street, in a tall public housing building in far greater disrepair than Mr. Mejia’s walkup — the lobby ceiling leaks water near the mailboxes — Caleb Rijos, 14, lived with his father and sister on the 14th floor.—
Michael Wilson,
New York Times,
21 Jan. 2025
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As noted on the Alamo website, the site fell into disrepair until the U.S. Army took it over in the 1840s as a supply hub, only to be abandoned again with the building of a more permanent military garrison at Fort Sam Houston.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA TODAY,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Frank describes indulging with all ages and body types before the excitement began to fade and a kind of melancholy set in.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
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But where Knight of Cups often drifts along in a generalized fog of melancholy, Blanchett actually makes the film’s lament for shattered relationships and thwarted potential actually hurt.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The war at its height displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population and has caused vast destruction across the territory.—
Ibrahim Hazboun,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2025
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Given Björk’s ongoing activism through song, the film will also curate a postapocalyptic utopia, void of environmental destruction.—
Kalia Richardson,
Rolling Stone,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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How the arts can create healthier communities According to thousands of studies, researchers have determined that involvement in the arts can improve public health and promote healing from illness, as well as protect against such problems as cognitive decline, heart disease, anxiety and depression.—
David Morgan,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2025
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The majority of women take acetaminophen at some point during pregnancy, with more use among those with anxiety and depression, according to past research.—
Shiv Sudhakar,
FOXNews.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The Artist Known as Muse is here to wreak some bloody havoc.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
21 Mar. 2025
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The outbreak is forecasted across the central Gulf Coast, Deep South and the Tennessee Valley with some tornadoes spanning long and possibly causing havoc, according to the National Weather Service.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA TODAY,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The United States’ science loss may be Europe’s gain.—
Alex Knapp,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Made of amino acids, protein is needed for repairing and building muscle, weight loss, immune support, hormone regulation, and other bodily functions.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Probably the most familiar are humpback and blue whales, which were driven to the brink of extinction not so long ago by commercial whaling, but are making a comeback after an international moratorium was enacted on whaling.—
GrrlScientist,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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The Gardens That Save Species (Yale Environment 360) by Janet Marinelli With many plant species at risk of extinction, botanic garden collections scattered around the world offer hope of survival.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desolation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolation. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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