1
as in sad
feeling unhappiness
she was forlorn when she found out the trip had been cancelled
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lonely
sad from lack of companionship or separation from others
a forlorn wanderer far from home
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3
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
a forlorn little town whose brief economic boom ended decades ago
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4
as in desperate
feeling or showing no hope
the forlorn expression of a candidate who knows that he hasn't a prayer of winning the election
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forlorn
But across the street from Sherwood’s gorgeous new house — white with dark trim and cheerful flowers in the front yard — is still an empty lot, a forlorn swimming pool surrounded by chain-link fencing the only reminder of what used to be.
—
Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2025
Instead, the forlorn centre-back was left to reflect on his mistakes.
—Roshane Thomas, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
Note that when forlorn lover Night catfishes lonesome Apo, the film finds a scary new level of social sympathy.
—Armond White, National Review, 15 Jan. 2025
The platform in the city, empty and forlorn for years, has sprung back, crowded every morning with people waiting to take the narrow-gauge, red-and-cream-colored train, which departs twice daily.
—Jeremy Engle, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forlorn
Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2025
Instead, the forlorn centre-back was left to reflect on his mistakes.
—Roshane Thomas, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
Note that when forlorn lover Night catfishes lonesome Apo, the film finds a scary new level of social sympathy.
—Armond White, National Review, 15 Jan. 2025
The platform in the city, empty and forlorn for years, has sprung back, crowded every morning with people waiting to take the narrow-gauge, red-and-cream-colored train, which departs twice daily.
—Jeremy Engle, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forlorn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forlorn
Adjective
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Especially sad is the case of Netta, one of Liat’s three children, who survived the attack.—
Jordan Mintzer,
The Hollywood Reporter,
20 Feb. 2025
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The range of weapons and passive abilities that drop from major enemies just encourage different playstyles, rather than shoving you into a sad corner full of regrets.—
Josh Broadwell,
Rolling Stone,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Bill’s smarm has calcified into a kind of mad obsession; Hal is a starkly lonely and cowardly man.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
22 Feb. 2025
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Prepare For It To Be A Lonely Road I was told that entrepreneurship is a lonely road.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The picture looks bleak in the U.S. and in France the company is entering receivership.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
24 Feb. 2025
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The tiny graves at one end of the orphanage compound are a bleak reminder of what a future without USAID might look like for the children.—
Nicholas Komu,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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No, the problem is that Hart is terribly sad and even more lonely — almost desperate, in fact.—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
18 Feb. 2025
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For the second time in three years, the Browns are desperate enough that no player or situation should be ruled out.—
Zac Jackson,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Many previous Trump advisers, including Mr. Bolton, have tried to contain Mr. Trump, with unhappy results.—
Michael Crowley,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
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Thus, Amazon knows there won't be a raft of unhappy customers complaining about losing their apps.—
Ryan Whitwam,
Ars Technica,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In video after video, young people complained about missing their high school graduations and senior proms, of the desolate college campuses that welcomed them and the increasingly precarious economy that waited for them on the other side.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
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The work follows two soldiers from opposing nations who are stationed at a shared barrack on a desolate border.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Is there a way out of our divided country’s seemingly hopeless predicament?—
Jackie Strause,
The Hollywood Reporter,
25 Feb. 2025
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People who find themselves in financial trouble sometimes consider taking drastic measures when their situation appears hopeless.—
Paulette Perhach,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Man Shares Theory About Why Gen Z Are Depressed By Alice Gibbs Senior Life and Trends Reporter Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member news article 20 A 24-year-old marketing agency owner who lives in Tampa, Florida, has sparked discussion after sharing this theory about why Gen Z is depressed.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
15 Feb. 2025
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Today’s youth can feel depressed by the state of society while remaining incredibly sensitive, inventive, and caring.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forlorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forlorn. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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