1
3
: nearly hopeless
a forlorn attempt
forlornly
adverb
Examples of forlorn in a Sentence
Against the forlorn backdrop of the muddy terrain the media circus has left behind, the young mother is photographed for a fashion spread wearing a … white dress.
—
James Wolcott, Vanity Fair, September 1998
There is nothing quite so forlorn as a closed factory—Vic Wilcox knows, having supervised a shutdown himself in his time.
—David Lodge, Nice Work, 1990
Like Ozymandias, once king of kings but now two legs of a broken statue in Percy Shelley's desert, the great facade of Union Station in Washington, D.C., stands forlorn …
—Stephen Jay Gould, Natural History, November 1986
she was forlorn when she found out the trip had been cancelled
a forlorn wanderer far from home
James Wolcott, Vanity Fair, September 1998
There is nothing quite so forlorn as a closed factory—Vic Wilcox knows, having supervised a shutdown himself in his time.
—David Lodge, Nice Work, 1990
Like Ozymandias, once king of kings but now two legs of a broken statue in Percy Shelley's desert, the great facade of Union Station in Washington, D.C., stands forlorn …
—Stephen Jay Gould, Natural History, November 1986
she was forlorn when she found out the trip had been cancelled
a forlorn wanderer far from home
Recent Examples on the Web
The once forlorn small club of football faithful have welcomed a convoy of bandwagon hoppers.
—Dana O'Neil, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
Yet like many other Z&L endeavors in San Jose, that project has fizzled, and the old church remains a forlorn structure next to an unkempt field in downtown San Jose.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
Riley sat between Maiava and safety Bisop Fitzgerald in the postgame press conference — all looking forlorn.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 19 Oct. 2025
Oliver had one of his best professional games during the team’s Week 1 victory over the Baltimore Ravens, and was initially forlorn about not being able to continue on his early-season success immediately due to the injury.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forlorn
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Dana O'Neil, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
Yet like many other Z&L endeavors in San Jose, that project has fizzled, and the old church remains a forlorn structure next to an unkempt field in downtown San Jose.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
Riley sat between Maiava and safety Bisop Fitzgerald in the postgame press conference — all looking forlorn.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 19 Oct. 2025
Oliver had one of his best professional games during the team’s Week 1 victory over the Baltimore Ravens, and was initially forlorn about not being able to continue on his early-season success immediately due to the injury.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forlorn
Cite this Entry
“Forlorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forlorn. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
forlorn
adjective
for·lorn
fər-ˈlȯ(ə)rn 
fȯr-
1
: feeling sad and lonely especially because of being left alone
2
: nearly hopeless
a forlorn cause
forlornly
adverb
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