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
When Trump came to power, Americans were ready to abandon a policy of economic engagement with China that had hollowed out US industry, left desolation across factory towns, and fueled a populist surge.
—
Andy Browne, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
What distinguishes two states is not closeness to realization or a workable pathway to success but a long record of failure that ended in death, desolation, and despair.
—Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
And so the people of Hiroshima today are walking through the forlorn desolation of their once proud city with gauze masks over their mouths and noses.
—Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
Even beyond the pulsing techno soundtrack and the majestic desolation of the landscape, Sirât (the title referring to the Islamic term for the razor-thin bridge between heaven and hell) creates a sensory experience of audacity and shock that touches the sublime.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Andy Browne, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
What distinguishes two states is not closeness to realization or a workable pathway to success but a long record of failure that ended in death, desolation, and despair.
—Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
And so the people of Hiroshima today are walking through the forlorn desolation of their once proud city with gauze masks over their mouths and noses.
—Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
Even beyond the pulsing techno soundtrack and the majestic desolation of the landscape, Sirât (the title referring to the Islamic term for the razor-thin bridge between heaven and hell) creates a sensory experience of audacity and shock that touches the sublime.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolation
Noun
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Get ready for tears – of sadness, of fear, and of laughter.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
-
That's my sadness around that game.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Guthrie lives on nearly an acre, in a brown-brick, ranch-style house with an attached garage, a short gravel driveway, and desert landscaping.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Pops of yellow flowers and ribbons dot the desert neighborhood as a message of hope for the family.—
Liz Kreutz,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
New elementary schools Declining enrollment and old buildings in disrepair have sprouted conversations about consolidating Olathe’s elementary schools.—
Kendrick Calfee
February 11,
Kansas City Star,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Millions of those homes have fallen into disrepair, according to a 2023 report from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Palestinian American poet Noor Hindi and the Sudanese American poet Safia Elhillo described the devastation of their homelands.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
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The conflict that ended in 1992 resulted in the deaths of 75,000 civilians, forced more than a million Salvadorans to flee the country and caused severe economic devastation for those who remained.—
Yamlek Mojica,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Fanning’s name was the first called when nominations were announced, signaling that Scandinavian melancholy would be notably absent that morning.—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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But Wednesday’s report about the parking fees quickly backfiring should turn this melancholy into fury.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Starring Elordi and Barry Keoghan, Fennell’s dark comedy about class resentment and covetous destruction was sold on the promise of erotic excess.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
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Though once vital to the economy of the American territory, Puerto Rico’s sugar plantations evolved to represent the destruction and exploitation of colonialism that continues to impact the region today—a detail not lost on those cast as grass.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Make shallow depressions for your rhizomes and cover so new green growth sits just above the soil surface.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
8 Feb. 2026
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Don’t sink into depression, this is temporary!—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Ebba Andersson tumbled and snapped the ski binding in the second leg, giving Norway the advantage on a day where warm weather caused slushy corners that created havoc in the early stages.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
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Three minutes of comedy chasing and evasive action ensued before play resumed, only for the four-legged fiend to return to wreak more havoc than the home attack had previously shown.—
Craig Chisnall,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Desolation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolation. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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