DESERTED Synonyms: 102 Similar and Opposite Words

deserted 1 of 2

adjective

as in abandoned

left unoccupied or unused we had the deserted beach all to ourselves

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

deserted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of desert

as in rejected

to leave (a cause or party) often in order to take up another the volunteer became disillusioned with his candidate and deserted to a political rival

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in left

to cause to remain behind deserted the kids at the food court for some independent shopping

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 deserted

Adjective

There’s even a nod to 28 Days Later, with Zeta-Jones hobbling across a deserted Westminster Bridge in London wearing blue hospital scrubs, just like Cillian Murphy’s Jim in the 2002 horror movie. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026 The landscape of the deserted street was becoming all red sand and brown stone. — Alex Jovanovich, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026 Among all the far-off places, and all the deserted and unknown cities, among all the lawless, godless regions, the Guayrá was an oasis. — Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026 The red-brick Southeast Lighthouse, perched atop the Mohegan Bluffs, is all but deserted. — Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 9 Aug. 2026 As long a there’s a full-serve station within a mile or two, in the middle of the night, your car will wander off down deserted streets at low speed, and fill up. — Brad Templeton, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Sparkly, semiattired Lolla kids are this weekend swarming around such oft-deserted environs as Van Buren Street, Jackson Boulevard and State Street. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026 Authorities reopened more communities Friday, but several remained largely deserted Saturday. — Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2026 And being on a deserted island, there were no tourists, nothing. — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 26 July 2026

Verb

Life and death are entangled, like a once-prosperous but now deserted community. — Jonathan Flint, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026 In August, Rome is deserted as locals ditch the sweltering city for the sea, but everyone returns in the fall, refreshed and energized for the season ahead. — Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 21 Aug. 2026 Another neighbor said the apartment was deserted when police arrived. — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026 One season on our family farm, deer deserted a tree stand that had produced results for years. — David Farbman, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Beaches near Pensacola, Florida, were mostly deserted except for tourists taking photos of the pounding surf. — ABC News, 22 July 2026 Mbappe wasn’t the worst of France’s attackers and never stopped trying to turn the tide, but his quality deserted him. — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 16 July 2026 Ghulam Ali whipped his head around to see if anyone else was there, but the fields were deserted at this time of day. — Literary Hub, 30 June 2026 No matter how crowded or deserted your beach may be, being mindful of others will go a long way in creating an enjoyable day for you and all your fellow beachgoers. — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 19 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deserted

Adjective

By the time viewers reach hour 15, the staff has spent an entire shift navigating a cyberattack that forces the emergency department to abandon digital systems, a nonstop influx of Fourth of July emergencies and an abandoned baby.

— Tanya Fedak, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
According to the gallery, the 25-minute film is set in a semi-abandoned hotel near Tokyo and reimagines the Greek myth of the goddess Persephone’s abduction by Hades.

— Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 16 June 2026

Definition of abandoned

Verb

The decision follows a separate antitrust ruling last year, when a judge rejected calls to force Google to divest Chrome.

— MacKenzie Sigalos,Drew Troast, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
Newcastle made an offer to Marseille for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in early August, though the 31-year-old rejected the move.

— George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of rejected

Verb

In order to test him during his childhood, his parents do everything from shooting an apple off his head to leaving him stranded in a dangerous part of town, forcing John to fend for himself.

— Matt Minton, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
For those stranded by a flood, survival depends on many factors including access to oxygen, food and water.

— ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of stranded

Adjective

At least 14 artisanal miners are dead and scores are injured at a disused mine in South Africa, police said Tuesday.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Motion opened the gallery in Kings Cross in a disused betting parlor next door to a kebab shop in 2016 while also holding down a day job.

— Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of disused

Adjective

Miller was one of four young women whose bodies were found between 1984 and 1991 in a rural field off a desolate dirt road in League City, located about 28 miles (45 kilometers) southeast of Houston.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
To understand what a transitive graph is, imagine the graph as a network of roads on a flat, desolate landscape.

— Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of desolate

Adjective

Per the current listing, the site is now vacant and shovel-ready for building out a seven-bedroom, seven-plus-bath behemoth, all connected by a private elevator.

— Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 31 Aug. 2026
The vacant 113,464-square-foot building sits at the northeast corner of Bowes Road and South McLean Boulevard.

— Rick West, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of vacant

Adjective

Markwayne Mullin, the secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, alleged that the Biden administration was derelict in its duty by failing to vet the sponsors of the children and to conduct wellness checks to ensure their safety.

— Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Once the colony grew, the birds roosted in a derelict military barracks nearby, later returning to the pine forest when the facility was renovated.

— Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 14 May 2026

Definition of derelict

Adjective

The city’s charter authorizes the mayor to nominate someone to serve out the term of a vacated seat on the City Council when fewer than 18 months are left of the four-year term.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026
The vacated space is in the process of being cleaned and remodeled.

— Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of vacated

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desert

deserted

deserter

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Style

“Deserted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deserted. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of deserted

adjective

verb

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