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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of desolation
On a long album full of romantic vitriol and emotional desolation, songs in this mode provide brief eruptions of uplift — a necessary counterbalance.
—
Elias Leight, Billboard, 28 May 2025
As the survivors venture out and scramble back, the images oscillate between nervous claustrophobia and eerie, wide-open desolation; between the overly familiar and the radically strange.
—Mike Hale, New York Times, 1 May 2025
The question that hangs over the screenplay is not if Maddox’s desolation will metastasize into violence, but when.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2025
And this week, NASCAR is returning to the North Carolina racetrack after years of desolation and renovation and revitalization; a Truck Series race, which FOX is broadcasting, will run Friday, with an Xfinity Series race on The CW slated for Saturday before Easter Sunday.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Elias Leight, Billboard, 28 May 2025
As the survivors venture out and scramble back, the images oscillate between nervous claustrophobia and eerie, wide-open desolation; between the overly familiar and the radically strange.
—Mike Hale, New York Times, 1 May 2025
The question that hangs over the screenplay is not if Maddox’s desolation will metastasize into violence, but when.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2025
And this week, NASCAR is returning to the North Carolina racetrack after years of desolation and renovation and revitalization; a Truck Series race, which FOX is broadcasting, will run Friday, with an Xfinity Series race on The CW slated for Saturday before Easter Sunday.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolation
Noun
-
The United States is full of many different landscapes that range from vast deserts, beaches, towering mountains, stunning coastlines, and lush forests.—
Celia Fernandez,
CNBC,
4 July 2025
-
Fire restrictions highlighted the urgency of staying safe in Arizona’s forests, deserts and scrublands.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
3 July 2025
Noun
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Cincinnati operates 41 restrooms in its 5,000-acre system, with plans to open six in disrepair by next year.—
Patricia Gallagher Newberry,
The Enquirer,
4 July 2025
-
But it’s been in disrepair for years and rarely used.—
Miami Herald Staff,
Miami Herald,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
Only two divorcees responded with anything remotely reminiscent of misty-eyed melancholy.—
Hannah Pittard,
People.com,
8 July 2025
-
But the title track from his 1969 LP — a platinum-seller enshrined in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry — is perhaps his most impressive harmonic achievement, with a key change in the verse that lends a touch of melancholy to the song’s message of protest.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2025
Noun
-
July 6, 2025: A large scale of destruction in Georgetown, downed trees show the aftermath of raging floodwaters in the South San Gabriel River.—
Hannah Parry
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
-
Regardless, the truck’s destruction eventually creates a bonding moment with Hank, Bobby, and the most reliable member of the elder generation that Hank knows: the memory of his old truck.—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
This projection was so oft repeated in the media that many Americans, especially Democrats, believed a depression was imminent.—
E.J. Antoni,
Boston Herald,
13 July 2025
-
Later that day, Barry made landfall near the city of Tampico, on Mexico’s east coast, and weakened to a tropical depression.—
Elizabeth Kolbert,
New Yorker,
12 July 2025
Noun
-
The bacteria causing havoc for summer swimmers include E.coli and Enterococcus — nasty germs often found in the feces of people and animals.—
Shreya Srinivasan,
NBC news,
3 July 2025
-
Cilic was never in the contest because of a foot blister that was causing havoc with pain and movement, something that was imperative against the balletic Federer.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Noun
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The leak caused the loss of nearly 30,000 gallons of water daily.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
14 July 2025
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The scale is staggering: one UN estimate pegs global losses from these schemes at $37 billion.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
Loss of habitat, for any species, is the largest cause of extinction.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 July 2025
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After decades of habitat destruction, unregulated hunting and industrial expansion, federal officials had already flagged more than 70 species at risk of extinction—with many more lining up behind them.—
Christine Peterson,
Wired News,
5 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desolation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolation. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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