DESERT Synonyms: 195 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

desert 1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈde-zərt

Definition of desert next

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

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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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

desert

3 of 4

verb

di-ˈzərt

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to leave

to cause to remain behind deserted the kids at the food court for some independent shopping

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

desert

4 of 4

adjective

as in arid

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of desert

Noun

The park features an enticing combination of white sandy beaches and desert hiking trails. —

Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 1 Jan. 2025 This image was captured by the Very Large Telescope's Survey Telescope at the Paranal Observatory of the European Southern Observatory in Chile's Atacama desert. —

Space.com Staff, Space.com, 1 Jan. 2025

Verb

High in the Italian Alps, the wise but taciturn eldest daughters of a provincial matriarch, perpetually pregnant, vie for the attentions of Pietro (De Domenico), who hails from Sicily and has been deserted by the war. —

Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 12 Dec. 2024 Soldiers considering deserting have sought her advice. —

Samya Kullab and Volodymyr Yurchuk, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2024

Adjective

Nor do the sunbaked, semi-desert grasslands of Prescott National Forest south of Camp Verde look like the kind of place the wispy, water-loving trees would thrive. —

Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 15 Sep. 2022 Construction of the mega-project is expected to start in earnest in the Karoo, a semi-desert natural region of the country, in 2022. —

Conrad Onyango, Quartz, 1 Feb. 2022 See all Example Sentences for desert

Recent Examples of Synonyms for desert

Verb

Barney and Nutmeg are believed to have been abandoned in the Clinton Township area.

Dan Perry, Newsweek, 5 Jan. 2025
Vigny did in fact abandon the literary rat race for his country estate and quit publishing while continuing to write for himself.

Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 4 Jan. 2025