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
The desolation of the desert scared off many settlers at the time, leaving Arizona less populated for quite a while.
—
Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 13 Feb. 2026
During the Great Depression, the mansions saved the city from complete desolation when local garden clubs created an antebellum tourism industry virtually out of thin air.
—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Vartkessian renders them neither clinically nor sensationally—a fine line to walk—and cherry-picking details for this review feels grossly reductive, like a thumbnail sketch of a scene of desolation.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Maradona managed to unite in desolation a country deeply divided.
—Esteban Campanela, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 13 Feb. 2026
During the Great Depression, the mansions saved the city from complete desolation when local garden clubs created an antebellum tourism industry virtually out of thin air.
—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Vartkessian renders them neither clinically nor sensationally—a fine line to walk—and cherry-picking details for this review feels grossly reductive, like a thumbnail sketch of a scene of desolation.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Maradona managed to unite in desolation a country deeply divided.
—Esteban Campanela, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolation
Noun
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Relieved of their blindfolds, the men now wore heavy rucksacks filled with colored rocks representing their anger (red), guilt and shame (black), and sadness (blue).—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Reaction to the news Monday that the Connecticut Sun WNBA team is officially being moved to Houston was of sadness and regret in Connecticut, especially amongst those who had tried to keep the professional women’s basketball team in the state over the last year.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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As well as acting as a bulwark against the desert’s encroachment, the greenery is intended to improve agricultural conditions and reduce political unrest in the area, and will act as a carbon sink, Gizmodo reported.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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Previously, Cassidy worked for the Arizona Republic covering Phoenix police, Sheriff Joe Arpaio and desert-area crime and mayhem.—
Megan Cassidy,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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After falling into disrepair, it was restored in 1965 by the Allward family, who continues to care for it today.—
Rosie Conroy,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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Some brought up the City Hall building and what the city’s plan was to prevent facilities from falling into long-term disrepair.—
Devyani Chhetri,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In the day since the fire, Shinneman said the H&R Block branch has already been shown a multitude of kindness from members of the community in the wake of the devastation.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
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The memoir has struck a chord with readers facing unexpected divorces or other marital devastation.—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The film’s empathetic interest in individual, often eccentric human lives gives it a warmth that overrides the underlying melancholy of the material, making for a pleasingly unsentimental crowdpleaser.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
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Some acknowledged the possibility that melancholy could be inherited.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Sacramento County Parks Department says there's been a big increase in vandalism and destruction of the nature preserve due to unauthorized use of off-road bicycles and e-bikes.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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After the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory’s focus is on her mom, her sisters and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Growing up on a farm in Wabasha, Minnesota, one of 18 children, Bea milked cows and attended a one-room schoolhouse during the great depression.—
Irene Gonzalez,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Hoang models the potential sales of these drugs by using Johnson & Johnson's Spravato, an intranasal ketamine derivative first approved to address treatment-resistant depression in 2019 , as a case study.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Aquarians are all about maintaining the good of the group, and rarely like to cause havoc.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
4 Apr. 2026
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Working low to high, causing havoc on the forecheck, getting pucks back.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Desolation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolation. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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