desultory

adjective

ˈde-səl-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce desultory (audio)
Definition of desultorynext
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

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 desultory There'd be people sitting outside smoking, having desultory conversations, playing games. — Lale Arikoglu, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Mar. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for desultory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desultory
  1. random
  2. rambling
  3. scattered
  4. wandering
  5. arbitrary
  6. indirect
  7. erratic
  8. discursive
Adjective
  • This horror movie mostly just smelled of fake fog from a community theater production and occasionally you were startled by random bursts of air, once again pulling you from the events on screen.
    — Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • One episode explores several years in the life of a random Jason variant who simply tries to build a life for himself in a quiet world.
    — Andrew Webster, The Verge, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of random
Adjective
  • And then there’s the Kiyosaki residence, a rambling Moroccan fantasia with muddy adobe walls and a pink door.
    — Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026
  • In the podcast, conversations with guests are interspersed with rambling reflections from Von, who is open about his past issues with substance abuse.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of rambling
Adjective
  • The right words can turn scattered details into a workable plan.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The scattered rain on Tuesday morning was simply not widespread or heavy enough to provide meaningful relief for the ongoing fires or drought conditions.
    — Lauren Bostwick, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of scattered
Adjective
  • Never underestimate the power of novelty, especially in the wandering eyes of new-money millennials.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026
  • They are known to ruin picnics, chase wandering children, and terrorize those who accidentally mow over a nest.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of wandering
Adjective
  • While some of the color contrasts do articulate planar shifts, such as the candy-stripe lips (red for upper, pink for lower), many of the touches are arbitrary splotches that neither bolster a shape nor set another off.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The choices of what to put in each episode — and when to cut from one timeline to another — have sometimes felt arbitrary, and have often disrupted the story’s overall flow.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of arbitrary
Adjective
  • Put the cutting in a warm place with bright, indirect light, keep the soil evenly moist, and open the bag once each day to let in fresh air.
    — Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 30 Aug. 2026
  • But the second lineage has a much more indirect and mysterious connection.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of indirect
Adjective
  • Still, the closing play couldn’t erase an erratic and largely unproductive day for the Commanders’ offense.
    — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The symptoms found in those with CTE include memory loss, mood swings, erratic behavioral actions and more.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of erratic
Adjective
  • The prolific, award-winning British author’s novels are often plotless, discursive and frustratingly obtuse.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
  • And yet this metafictional doubling—in which people appear simultaneously as themselves and with a set of fictional flourishes—has the side effect of undermining the discursive conceit of the text.
    — Maya Binyam, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of discursive

Browse Nearby Words

desultorily
desultory
detach
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Cite this Entry

“Desultory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desultory. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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