Synonyms of forlorn

120 similar words

Another word for forlorn is desert. Other synonyms of forlorn are deserted, desolate, forsaken, depressed and derelict.

Synonyms and similar words for forlorn

adjectiveAbandoned, deserted, left behind.

desolateDeserted and devoid of inhabitants.
forsakenDeserted; abandoned.
peoplelessHaving no people; uninhabited.
abandoned
derelictGiven up by the guardian or owner; abandoned, forsaken.
desertUsually of a place: abandoned, deserted, or uninhabited.
desertedAbandoned, without people.
discarded
dropped
high and dryAbandoned, stranded, helpless.
left behindA usually socially conservative member of the working class whose income is stagnating or falling in purchasing power.
orphanedAbandoned.

adjectivePitifully sad, wretched, miserable; lonely, especially from feeling abandoned, deserted, forsaken.

despondentIn low spirits from loss of hope or courage.
lonesomeUnhappy due to being alone; lonely.
atrabiliary
atrabilious
blithelessWithout happiness or joy; unjoyful; sorrowful; sad.
dispiritedWithout energy, gusto or drive, enervated, without the will to accomplish, disheartened.
blueDepressed, melancholic, sad.
bummed outDepressed, disappointed, in a gloomy mood.
chapfallenCrestfallen, dejected.
cheerlessDevoid of cheer; gloomy.
chopfallenSynonym of chapfallen.
crestfallen
cut up Australia, UKEmotionally upset; mentally distressed.
damp figuratively
dejectedSad and dispirited.
depressedUnhappy; despondent.
disgruntledIn a dissatisfied, frustrated, or upset mood; in a bad temper or ill humour.
disconsolateCheerless, dreary.
disheartenedDiscouraged, despairing.
dismalCausing despair; gloomy and bleak.
dolefulFilled with grief, mournful, bringing feelings of sadness.
dolesomeCharacterised or marked by sorrow and grief; doleful; dismal; gloomy.
downSad, unhappy, depressed, feeling low.
down in the dumpsSad; lacking engagement or enthusiasm.
down in the mouthSad or discouraged, especially as indicated by one's facial appearance.
downcastOf a person: feeling despondent or discouraged.
downheartedSad, discouraged, in low spirits, unhappy, having no hope.
downsomeLow-spirited; melancholy.
dullBored, depressed, down.
elegiacExpressing sorrow or mourning.
elegiousMelancholy, miserable, plaintive.
gloomySuffering from gloom; melancholy; dejected.
glumDespondent; moody; sullen.
grief-strickenVery sad.
grievingFeeling or showing sorrow or distress due to loss, especially the death of someone.
heavy-heartedSad, melancholic.
heartsoreHeartsick.
heartsickVery despondent or sorrowful; heartsore.
inconsolableNot consolable; unable to be consoled or comforted, usually due to grief, disappointment, or other distress.
infelicitous
jawfallenDejected, dispirited.
joylessWithout joy; unhappy, sad.
lachrymoseTearful, sorrowful, sad, pertaining to tears, weeping, causing tears or crying.
lowDepressed in mood, dejected, sad.
low-spiritedDisheartened, feeling low, in low spirits.
lugubriousGloomy, mournful or dismal, especially to an exaggerated degree.
melancholicFilled with or affected by melancholy—great sadness or depression, especially of a thoughtful or introspective nature.
melancholyAffected with great sadness or depression.
miserableIn a state of misery: very sad, ill, or poor.
moodySulky or depressed.
mopeyGiven to moping; in a depressed condition, low in spirits; lackadaisical.
moroseSullen, gloomy; showing a brooding ill humour.
mournfulFilled with grief or sadness; being in a state in which one mourns.
plaintiveSounding sorrowful, mournful or melancholic.
PlutonianOf, relating to, or having characteristics associated with the underworld; dark, gloomy; mournful.
PlutonicSynonym of Plutonian (“of, relating to, or having characteristics associated with the underworld; dark, gloomy...
querulousOften complaining; suggesting a complaint in expression; fretful, whining.
ruthfulFull of sorrow; sorrowful; woeful; rueful.
sad
saddened
saturnineOf a person: having a tendency to be cold and gloomy.
shatteredEmotionally defeated or dispirited.
solemnCheerless, gloomy, sombre.
sombreDark; gloomy; shadowy, dimly lit.
sorrowfulExhibiting sorrow; dejected; distraught; sad. (of a person).
sorrow-riddenFilled with sorrow or sorrows.
sorrowsomeMarked by sorrow; sad; dreary; sorrowful.
spiritlessLacking energy, drive, motivation or emotion. Enervated.
sullenGloomy; dismal; foreboding.
threneticSorrowful; mournful.
threneticalThrenetic.
uncheerfulNot cheerful.
uncheeryNot cheery; gloomy, pessimistic.
unconsolableSynonym of inconsolable.
unhappyNot happy; sad.
unlivelyNot lively.
wistfulSad and thoughtful.
woebegoneOf a person: deeply affected or overwhelmed by suffering or trouble, and so filled with woe (“great distress or...
woefulFull of woe; sorrowful; distressed with grief or calamity.
wretchedCharacterized by or feeling deep affliction or distress; very miserable.
comfortlessOf a thing: offering no comfort; uncomforting.
bleakUnhappy; cheerless; miserable; emotionally desolate.
darkConducive to hopelessness; depressing or bleak.
depressingCausing depression or sadness.
direExpressing bad consequences: dreadful; dismal.
drearDreary.
drearisomeCharacterised or marked by dreariness.
drearyDrab; dark, colorless, or cheerless.
dreich UK, dialectalBleak, cheerless, dismal, dreary, miserable.
gaylessLacking gaiety; gloomy; somber; drab.
grayDreary, gloomy, cloudy.
gloomsomeCharacterised or marked by gloom.
grimDismal and gloomy, cold and forbidding.
lack-laughterCheerless; sombre; serious.
mirthlessLacking mirth; devoid of joy; sad.
no joke
somber
sunlessDreary, cheerless.
unmerryNot merry, the opposite of merry; sad, gloomy.
wintryChilling, cheerless.
lamentful rareReplete with lamentation; mournful.
lumpish obsoleteMiserable, sad.
passionate obsolete
triste rareSad; sorrowful; gloomy.
tristful archaicSad, melancholic.
woe obsoleteWoeful; sorrowful.

adjectiveUnlikely to succeed; hopeless.

despairfulCharacterised by despair; hopeless.
desperate

Meaning of forlorn

adjective Abandoned, deserted, left behind.
adjective Pitifully sad, wretched, miserable; lonely, especially from feeling abandoned, deserted, forsaken.
adjective Unlikely to succeed; hopeless.

Full definition of forlorn

forlorn in other languages

Questions about synonyms of forlorn

What is another word for forlorn?: Forlorn has 120 synonyms on Word.ws, such as desert, deserted, desolate, forsaken, depressed, derelict, miserable and unhappy.
What does forlorn mean?: Forlorn means abandoned, deserted, left behind.

Adapted from Wiktionary: forlorn (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this page: “Synonyms of forlorn.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/forlorn. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.