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
The forlorn and broken-hearted are now tortured with watching an ex’s new life unfold right on their phone.
—
Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Alex, meanwhile, certainly seems to be enjoying his newfound popularity at school, which leaves Jackie looking forlorn and feeling left behind in the teaser.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 7 July 2025
San Diego is preparing to offer the forlorn and soon-to-be empty municipal building on the outskirts of the Civic Center for sale or lease.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2025
Now you were nailed to one spot, wearing this forlorn or broken expression.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for forlorn
Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Alex, meanwhile, certainly seems to be enjoying his newfound popularity at school, which leaves Jackie looking forlorn and feeling left behind in the teaser.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 7 July 2025
San Diego is preparing to offer the forlorn and soon-to-be empty municipal building on the outskirts of the Civic Center for sale or lease.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2025
Now you were nailed to one spot, wearing this forlorn or broken expression.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for forlorn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forlorn
Adjective
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But now, the King and the royal family have received very sad news that will change things going forward.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Shooting scenes in wide or medium shots that sometimes break into Hsiao-Lee’s harrowing point-of-view, cinematographer Yu Jing-Pin depicts a world without much color or hope, while sets by Huang Mei-Ching and Tu Shuo-Feng emphasize a sad and impoverished existence.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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His work in those early days bears little resemblance to the crystalline large-format portraits of lonely American landscapes that would come to define his career.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Quarterback is an isolating and lonely position, despite entire infrastructures reverse-engineered in service of those who play it, to say nothing of the elaborate playbooks created for them.—
Seth Wickersham,
The Atlantic,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Matters only got more bleak in the sixth, when Rushing fouled a ball off his right shin, smoking a ball right above where his guard ended and immediately going down in pain.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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The one constant is the unhappy couple’s bleak surroundings.—
Adam Solomons,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Both teams are desperate to avoid an 0-2 start, and Johnson’s return adds another layer of intrigue to a sneaky-big early season matchup.—
Andy Scholes,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
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Muncy had played only a handful of games since early June, Edman had been out since early August, and Vesia returned to a bullpen in desperate need of a boost after a series of recent letdowns.—
Chad Jennings,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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My research team works hard to keep the email addresses up to date, but executives keep changing their addresses to avoid having to deal with unhappy customers.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
-
But few seemed to leave unhappy.—
Jonathan Hawkins,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Silksong is steeped in religious imagery — desolate chapels, ringing church bells, even rosary beads that act as in-game currency.—
Keller Gordon,
NPR,
8 Sep. 2025
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Her haunting soprano ranged from desolate whispers to expansive belts.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But the situation is not hopeless.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
4 Sep. 2025
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Dealing with the horrors of the situation in Gaza within the sterile environment of a call center, its workers are feeling increasingly hopeless, caught in the political crossfire of an escalating situation.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Unemployment has stayed relatively low in part because of dampened demand for workers as well as a depressed supply (people aging out of the workforce as well as reductions in immigrant workers).—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
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This time producer Brad Ingelsby tapped Mark Ruffalo as a depressed and traumatized FBI agent leading a task force investigating a series of home invasions targeting drug dens in the area.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forlorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forlorn. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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