1
as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern
a desultory search for something of interest on TV
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rambling
passing from one topic to another
a desultory discussion about the news of the day
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of desultory
With all due respect to Swords and Holloway, Olson has taken the team on her back since Michigan’s desultory loss to Iowa last week.
—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Though desultory violence by remaining members of the group continued for years, the autumn of 1977 marked the climax of the violent campaigns of extremist left wing groups in the country.
—
Jason Burke,
Time,
27 Feb. 2026
Once more, police made desultory enquiries and soon lost interest, their investigative resources stretched thin by a recent string of bombings in London by Irish republican extremists.
—
Literary Hub,
16 Jan. 2026
Conversation at Mels Diner is desultory and disinclined to matters so impractical, uncomfortable.
—
David Searcy,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desultory
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Though desultory violence by remaining members of the group continued for years, the autumn of 1977 marked the climax of the violent campaigns of extremist left wing groups in the country.
—
Jason Burke,
Time,
27 Feb. 2026
Once more, police made desultory enquiries and soon lost interest, their investigative resources stretched thin by a recent string of bombings in London by Irish republican extremists.
—
Literary Hub,
16 Jan. 2026
Conversation at Mels Diner is desultory and disinclined to matters so impractical, uncomfortable.
—
David Searcy,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desultory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desultory
Adjective
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Luka Dončić got traded at midnight on a random Saturday in February.
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Pinned to their random assortment of hats were scrawled, handmade signs proclaiming liberty or death.
Adjective
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Honeysuckle The warm, heady, floral scent of honeysuckle, which is strongest at dusk, is instantly recognizable, and the romantically rambling vines and tubular blooms make the climbing varieties cottage-garden classics.
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Vocals have an offhand nonchalance instead of hogging the spotlight, melodies sneak up on you rather than announce themselves, and the guitars avoid crunchy riffs and overdriven twang in favor of tart rambling and clean supporting chords.
Adjective
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The right conversation could turn scattered effort into a working plan.
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If your data is messy, scattered or stale, the AI output fails.
Adjective
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Controlled mind-wandering — Mind-wandering is a spontaneous zoning out of your immediate surroundings.
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When a wandering wolf threatens his fragile peace and slaughters his flock, Gaspard, blinded by rage, embarks on a perilous quest for vengeance — one that will lead him to the farthest reaches of his sorrow and guilt.
Adjective
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Hundreds of people have been detained and Serbia's police was accused of excessive force and arbitrary arrests.
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Hundreds of people have been detained and Serbia’s police was accused of excessive force and arbitrary arrests.
Adjective
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Iran has paused indirect talks over ending the war with the US ahead of the multi-day funeral.
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For charcoal grills, arrange coals to one side for indirect cooking.
Adjective
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After cycling through erratic gigs—bus driver, garbage collector, violin maker—his carpentry skills landed him a job on an expedition vessel in Antarctica from 2006 to 2010.
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His social media posts became increasingly erratic.
Adjective
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Like members of the Women’s Rights Convention, these outsiders often invoked the Declaration of Independence as a discursive weapon.
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But by the boulder the real action was social and discursive.
Cite this Entry
“Desultory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desultory. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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