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Definitions

desert

[dez-ert] / ˈdɛz ərt /
ADJECTIVE
barren, uncultivated
Synonyms
STRONGEST
arid desolate lonely uninhabited
STRONG
bare solitary waste wild
WEAK
infertile sterile unproductive untilled
Antonyms
STRONGEST
inhabited populated
WEAK
cultivated fertile productive
NOUN
wasteland; dry area
Synonyms
STRONGEST
wilderness
STRONG
Sahara barren flats solitude wild wilds
WEAK
arid region badland barren land lava bed sand dunes
Antonyms
WEAK
wetland
VERB
abandon, defect
Synonyms
STRONGEST
betray bolt depart escape flee forsake give up quit vacate
STRONG
abscond apostatize beach chuck decamp duck fly go jilt leave light maroon relinquish renounce resign split strand tergiversate walk
WEAK
bail out check out cop out crawl out go AWOL go back on go over the hill go west leave high and dry leave in the lurch leave stranded opt out play truant pull out run out on sneak off take a hike take off throw over violate oath
Antonyms
STRONGEST
come continue remain stay wait
STRONG
care face hold keep maintain stop
WEAK
aid assist come back help support

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

SIRTE, Libya—The twin-turboprop plane carved a line down through the sky and touched down at a desert airstrip here near Libya’s Mediterranean coast.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

By Jan. 26, Bovino had been demoted and sent back to his home station in the California desert.

From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026

Her focus is the West Valley, which has emerged as a premier destination for AI data center development—and where she has become the go-to developer and global capital partners staking their claim in the desert.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

If you’re a desert festivalgoer in Indio, you go to the Bunker.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

At night, they rioted in protest of the trip through the desert.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Vocabulary lists containing desert

Physical Geography - Introductory

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The American Civil War

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Commonly Confused Words, List 1

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