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
This week, Morgan Wallen and Post Malone pair up again for a new collaboration, while Sam Barber offers up a song of blistering song of desolation.
—
Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 21 Apr. 2025
From this desolation arose the Messianic faith of Christianity, which, after the conversion of the Emperor Constantine in 312, eventually became the Roman Empire’s sole state religion.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
Even the influx of people has done little to alleviate the sense of desolation and emptiness.
—Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Mar. 2025
Where is the message that can pull them out of the depths of desolation?
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 21 Apr. 2025
From this desolation arose the Messianic faith of Christianity, which, after the conversion of the Emperor Constantine in 312, eventually became the Roman Empire’s sole state religion.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
Even the influx of people has done little to alleviate the sense of desolation and emptiness.
—Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Mar. 2025
Where is the message that can pull them out of the depths of desolation?
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desolation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolation
Noun
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On Friday, temperatures in Southern California are expected to range from eight to 16 degrees above normal, with highs in the 90s to just above 100 degrees across the valleys, lower mountains and deserts, according to the National Weather Service’s Oxnard office.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2025
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Marvel at one of Africa’s most compelling regions with 7 Wonders in 7 Days at Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, an intimate, seven-night journey to the Namib, the world’s oldest living desert.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
The equipment was in varying stages of disrepair, and there was no documentation accompanying it.—
Erin Osmon,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2025
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The older woman, who appears to live alone, seems taken aback only for a moment before showing Laura to the guest room of her house, which is comfortable but falling into disrepair.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2025
Noun
-
At the opposite end of the court, a thick layer of melancholy was present.—
Kelly Iko,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
-
The far-reaching melancholy of musical theater has always been front and center in McAlpine’s work, which layers a lyricism of desire on top of string-heavy indie-pop arrangements.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
11 May 2025
Noun
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What makes that even scarier is that Florida’s road record — an .800 win percentage matched by only 17 other teams in the modern era — actually undersells the destruction.—
The Athletic NHL Staff,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
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The book also examines the growing movement to grant legal rights to rivers as a way to prevent their destruction by corporations and governments, which are themselves protected by a vast array of legal rights.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
30 May 2025
Noun
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The drug is believed to create more connections between brain cells, a process thought to ease depression and decrease suicidal thoughts, according to Mayo Clinic.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2025
-
The Pennsylvania Democrat was elected to his seat in November 2022, months after suffering a stroke, and later was checked into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment for depression in early 2023.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
24 May 2025
Noun
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Smoke follows a detective (Jurnee Smollett) and an arson investigator (Taron Egerton) who are trying to catch a pair of serial arsonists wreaking fiery havoc across the Pacific Northwest.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
28 May 2025
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Infusing the trenches with Allen and Hargrave should make for more havoc in one-on-one matchups.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Noun
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One of the key themes of Part II is the fact that everyone is only seeing things from their perspective; all these characters who are suffering loss and passing that suffering on to others are doing so in ignorance.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
27 May 2025
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Being moved to the rear of the field also resulted in the loss of Ericsson's and Kirkwood's prize money and the championship points from their original finishes.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2025
Noun
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In comparison with background levels of extinction, all of our sources said that current extinction rates are much higher.—
Lauren Leffer,
Popular Science,
29 May 2025
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The researchers’ hauls add to a growing body of evidence from Maine to Florida that Atlantic sturgeon are slowly staging a comeback since overfishing brought them to the edge of extinction in the U.S. during the 20th century.—
Benjamin Cassidy,
Smithsonian Magazine,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desolation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolation. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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