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
  • The backgrounds are sparse and artifical, with generous bloomed lighting and mist applied to seemingly random places.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Paralympic ticket sales will begin sometime in 2027 with a random draw or lottery, similar to how Olympic sales began.
    — Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of random
Adjective
  • 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
  • Even her supporters glance askance at one another during her rambling entreaties.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of rambling
Adjective
  • During a walk through the park, CBS News Philadelphia also found scattered screws, metal fragments and broken glass in parts of the lawn.
    — Eva Andersen, CBS News, 30 July 2026
  • The right conversation could turn scattered effort into a working plan.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 5 July 2026
Definition of scattered
Adjective
  • 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
  • The problem isn’t the wandering trees, but the wandering narrative, which needs deeper roots.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of wandering
Adjective
  • Rights groups have raised concerns about the treatment of migrants and asylum seekers in Tunisia since the EU agreement, including reports of collective expulsions, racial violence, arbitrary detention and abuses against Black migrants.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • This way, statistical confidence gets flagged earlier, so decisions don't wait on an arbitrary deadline, and underperforming variants get phased out automatically instead of running to completion for no reason.
    — Karan Sharma, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of arbitrary
Adjective
  • Conversations can be indirect due to details being swept under the rug, as someone could be choosing to circle around a particular issue, rather than confronting it head-on.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The federal government rejected Laftagareen’s disputed indirect re-election in March.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 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
  • 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
  • Was the discursive thread accidental, or emblematic of the two poles the AI industry is now bifurcated between?
    — Anisha Sircar, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of discursive

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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 28 Aug. 2026.

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