desolation

noun

ˌde-sə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce desolation (audio)
Definition of desolationnext
1
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits his desolation after his twin brother died was incurable

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2
as in desert
land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops looked out over the vast untamed desolation to the north

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3
as in disrepair
the state of being unattended to or not cared for the desolation of the abandoned garden

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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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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 desolation Some had waited for decades, but the priest learned, more or less, how to accompany people through years of confinement and isolation without losing himself in their desolation. — Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 30 June 2026 There’s only desolation and nothingness. — Literary Hub, 26 June 2026 Every street presents a tableaux of desolation. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026 Amid relative desolation, Merrill went 2-for-3 off Sánchez, perhaps the early favorite for the National League Cy Young Award. — Dennis Lin, New York Times, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for desolation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desolation
  1. sadness
  2. desert
  3. disrepair
  4. devastation
  5. melancholy
  6. destruction
  7. depression
  8. havoc
Noun
  • For example, expressing appreciation for past help or thanking the doctor for their time was more helpful than emphasizing sadness or frustration.
    — Paul Hsieh, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • But our frustrations and inconvenience pale in comparison to the sadness of those who knew the deceased or to the trauma the drivers involved experienced.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • Thousands of people began flooding through the entrance gates at midnight for the annual event in which participants create Black Rock City from scratch in the desert about 80 miles north of Reno.
    — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Pressing the Gravity’s DreamDrive button (located on the steering wheel), for instance, drove me from the Northridge area in northwest Los Angeles to the high desert north of Castaic, California (about a 25-mile drive).
    — Brooke Crothers, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of desert
Noun
  • But photographs accompanying the current listing show an interior still in various states of disrepair, including peeling paint, exposed framing and lath.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Urgent repair projects will be delayed, construction costs will multiply, and the visitor experience will inevitably decline as facilities fall into disrepair, risking the safety of millions of tourists and residents alike.
    — Lulu Vilas, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of disrepair
Noun
  • For France, long accustomed to wildfires along arid stretches of the Atlantic and Mediterranean, the devastation in Le Porge has yielded rare consensus that its fire safety system is not up to fighting mega-fires brought on by climate change.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Hunter said it’s been sad to see photos of the devastation wrought by the fire.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of devastation
Noun
  • Beneath all the sensuality and beauty, there’s also a lingering melancholy that feels very familiar to me.
    — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 16 June 2026
  • Don Hertzfeldt occasionally comes to mind for a similarly pervasive mood of questioning, philosophical melancholy.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 12 June 2026
Definition of melancholy
Noun
  • The deadly wall of water that descended from the mountains on the border between Nepal and Tibet caused destruction at least 62 miles downriver from the border in Nepal, an ABC News analysis of verified video and satellite images shows.
    — Jon Haworth, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Trump has also promoted the destruction of Iran's nuclear facilities and navy, and the reduction in missile and drone capabilities, as measures of success.
    — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of destruction
Noun
  • The glacier was likely a cirque glacier, the officials said, which is a glacier that has formed in a depression or basin high in the mountains.
    — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Sprague said the motive in the killings came down to giving Clancy a way out of her depression.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of depression
Noun
  • His worldview has brought nothing but havoc to Americans, whereas Parton provided a guidebook for a national redemption.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • After a stop in the NFL, former Mississippi tight end Dae’Quan Wright could be heading to LSU thanks to a court order that is creating havoc throughout college sports by allowing Wright and others an unexpected fifth year of eligibility.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of havoc

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desolating
desolation
desolations
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Cite this Entry

“Desolation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desolation. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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