forlorn

Bereft and lonely

Forlorn describes something pitifully sad, lonely, or abandoned.

A forlorn figure sits alone on a park bench.

A forlorn house stands empty and neglected.

The word carries a sense of desolation and hopelessness: She cast a forlorn glance at the departing train.

A forlorn hope is a faint, desperate one—almost certainly doomed to fail.

hopeless

despairing

Completely without hope

desperateDriven by urgent need
defeatedOvercome in contest
resignedYielded to circumstances

dejected · despondent · futile · lost · inconsolable · disconsolate · wretched · downcast · crestfallen · pessimistic

melancholy

sad

Emotionally low

sorrowfulFilled with grief
mournfulShowing or feeling grief
wistfulSadly longing for something

plaintive · doleful · somber · woeful · heartsick · pining · longing · yearning · nostalgic · bittersweet

desolate

bleak

Dreary and without cheer

barrenUnable to produce
wastelandUninhabitable barren region
starkSevere and unadorned

empty · lifeless · dismal · grim · dreary · uninhabited · solitary · remote · windswept · godforsaken

abandoned

deserted

Left behind, uninhabited

left behindAbandoned or forgotten
castoffDiscarded item or person
discardedGotten rid of

jilted · rejected · stranded · marooned · disowned · forgotten · dumped · orphaned · outcast · relinquished

lonely

isolated

Separated from others

solitaryExisting alone, apart
aloneWithout others present
lonesomeSad from isolation

secluded · friendless · alienated · withdrawn · reclusive · detached · cut off · separated · companionless · unloved

Categories

moodshappy, sad, angry, anxious, excited
griefgrief, mourning, bereavement, sorrow, grieving
lonelinessalone, loneliness, lonely, solitude, isolation
sadnesssad, unhappy, grief, sorrowful, heartbroken
sombergloomy, bleak, dreary, dismal, melancholy
dejectiondejected, despondent, discouraged, disheartened, dispirited

Opposites

emotional state

forlornjoyful

Feeling great happiness

happy · cheerful · jubilant · gleeful · elated

social connection

forlorncherished

Held dear, prized

beloved · treasured · embraced · supported · comforted

hope and expectation

forlornhopeful

Feeling positive expectation

optimistic · confident · expectant · buoyed · assured

Phrases

forlorn hopeFaint, unlikely expectation

Family

forlornly, forlornness, forlorn hope

Familiarity: Top 200,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated G