forlorn

adjective

for·lorn fər-ˈlȯrn

fȯr-

: bereft, forsaken

left quite forlorn of hope

: sad and lonely because of isolation or desertion : desolate

a forlorn landscape

: being in poor condition : miserable, wretched

forlorn tumbledown buildings

: nearly hopeless

a forlorn attempt

forlornly adverb

forlornness

fər-ˈlȯrn-nəs

fȯr-

noun

Choose the Right Synonym for forlorn

alone, solitary, lonely, lonesome, lone, forlorn, desolate mean isolated from others.

alone stresses the objective fact of being by oneself with slighter notion of emotional involvement than most of the remaining terms.

everyone needs to be alone sometimes

solitary may indicate isolation as a chosen course

glorying in the calm of her solitary life

but more often it suggests sadness and a sense of loss.

left solitary by the death of his wife

lonely adds to solitary a suggestion of longing for companionship.

felt lonely and forsaken

lonesome heightens the suggestion of sadness and poignancy.

an only child often leads a lonesome life

lone may replace lonely or lonesome but typically is as objective as alone.

a lone robin pecking at the lawn

forlorn stresses dejection, woe, and listlessness at separation from one held dear.

a forlorn lost child

desolate implies inconsolable grief at loss or bereavement.

desolate after her brother's death

Example Sentences

Against the forlorn backdrop of the muddy terrain the media circus has left behind, the young mother is photographed for a fashion spread wearing a … white dress.

James Wolcott, Vanity Fair, September 1998 There is nothing quite so forlorn as a closed factory—Vic Wilcox knows, having supervised a shutdown himself in his time.

David Lodge, Nice Work, 1990 Like Ozymandias, once king of kings but now two legs of a broken statue in Percy Shelley's desert, the great facade of Union Station in Washington, D.C., stands forlorn …

Stephen Jay Gould, Natural History, November 1986 she was forlorn when she found out the trip had been cancelled a forlorn wanderer far from home

Recent Examples on the Web For years, the old ghostly factory sat in quiet ruin, forlorn, moldering, home to pigeons and rats.

William Booth, Washington Post, 1 Dec. 2022 However, the eatery was closed that day, and Greg sat forlorn and hungry outside the restaurant.

William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, 4 Oct. 2022 Most important, where was McVay, who elevated this once-forlorn franchise to a championship?

Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2022 The performance was dense with feeling, not unlike being heartbroken and listening to the warm croons of Blake’s most forlorn releases.

Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2022 Chargering is a word invented to describe the myriad ways that games, seasons and entire decades have inexplicably crumbled for this forlorn franchise.

Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2022 On the Island of Misfit Toys, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer encounters a forlorn community of would-be Christmas gifts.

Mackenzie Chung Fegan, Bon Appétit, 9 Aug. 2022 Though Bruce Wayne was traumatized by witnessed his parents’ murder, the film focuses so heavily on his forlorn expressions and tantrums that his pain seemed merely ornamental.

New York Times, 20 July 2022 Cheap, adaptable, and blessed with a long shelf life, tofu is there for you when the fridge is forlorn, chicken thighs long gone, and lettuce tragically wilted.

Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 11 Aug. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'forlorn.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.