1
as in sad
feeling unhappiness
she was forlorn when she found out the trip had been cancelled
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lonely
sad from lack of companionship or separation from others
a forlorn wanderer far from home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
a forlorn little town whose brief economic boom ended decades ago
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in desperate
feeling or showing no hope
the forlorn expression of a candidate who knows that he hasn't a prayer of winning the election
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of forlorn
And some Democrats, frustrated and forlorn at a lack of leadership in their own ranks, have embraced him as a hero.
—
Gina Kolata, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Amtrak is forlorn that its Heartland Flyer service between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth will not be able to continue unless the Texas Department of Transportation forks over more money.
—Dominic Pino, National Review, 12 June 2025
Baker worked at the Bee for two years in college, escorting forlorn children to the crying room.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 26 May 2025
Chernow follows the pattern of most biographers in giving this work less attention than the more chipper earlier books—which is a pity, because the later work also reflects the Twain best illuminated by Chernow’s biography and its emphasis on Twain’s most forlorn years.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for forlorn
Gina Kolata, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Amtrak is forlorn that its Heartland Flyer service between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth will not be able to continue unless the Texas Department of Transportation forks over more money.
—Dominic Pino, National Review, 12 June 2025
Baker worked at the Bee for two years in college, escorting forlorn children to the crying room.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 26 May 2025
Chernow follows the pattern of most biographers in giving this work less attention than the more chipper earlier books—which is a pity, because the later work also reflects the Twain best illuminated by Chernow’s biography and its emphasis on Twain’s most forlorn years.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for forlorn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forlorn
Adjective
-
That's the sad reality facing many dogs in the wider shelter system.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 July 2025
-
Sinner plowed through an ailing Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, in a match that could serve as a sad, unfortunate coda to one of the most remarkable grass careers in tennis history.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
While Bowie envisioned an Earth careening toward apocalypse in a flamboyant, theatrical cry, Drake’s five leaves are quieter, lonelier — more like the end of a season than the end of a world.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
5 July 2025
-
By January, Musk had transitioned to lieutenant, making up DOGE, complete with cringey swag, like a lonely preteen dreaming up a secret club in his tree house.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
Some traders said the numbers were less severe than analysts' bleak forecasts.—
Sabrina Valle,
USA Today,
3 July 2025
-
No one is as funny and as bleak in the same sentence, or maybe even the same word.—
Literary Hub
July 1,
Literary Hub,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
But this went from an idea that was an automatic community win to an example of desperate nickel and diming.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
-
Young campers, counselors and staff are roused from sleep and begin a desperate rush to higher ground, according to social media accounts.—
HANNAH FINGERHUT,
Chicago Tribune,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
That's become a new line of attack for the Trump administration, which is already unhappy with the Fed for not moving more aggressively to lower interest rates.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
14 July 2025
-
Speculation is that Ferrari is unhappy with Vasseur's performance, although these rumors have been shut down by Vasseur, Lewis Hamilton, and Charles Leclerc.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
Griffith also describes in vivid detail the desolate Hopi landscape and the villages atop the three mesas.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
13 July 2025
-
Despite its desolate appearance, Bouvet is surprisingly rich in bird life.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
In a time when the suffering and seemingly hopeless prospects of America’s poor are known to all who have eyes to see, the only fig leaf available to hide the obscenity of this bill is the old partisan charge of waste, fraud and abuse.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
6 July 2025
-
Valentine, Texas, stamps 10,000+ love letters each year For more than three decades, the small-town Valentine Post Office — also known as the Love Station — has processed thousands of love letters from hopeless romantics around the world.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
Screenshot from a July 1 TikTok video of a depressed golden retriever waiting for her dog dad to return 1 1/2 years after a breakup.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
-
Despite these efforts, the advertiser exodus of 2023 meant that X’s ad revenue was quite depressed.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forlorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forlorn. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share