1
3
: nearly hopeless
a forlorn attempt
forlornly
adverb
Examples of forlorn in a Sentence
Against the forlorn backdrop of the muddy terrain the media circus has left behind, the young mother is photographed for a fashion spread wearing a … white dress.
—
James Wolcott, Vanity Fair, September 1998
There is nothing quite so forlorn as a closed factory—Vic Wilcox knows, having supervised a shutdown himself in his time.
—David Lodge, Nice Work, 1990
Like Ozymandias, once king of kings but now two legs of a broken statue in Percy Shelley's desert, the great facade of Union Station in Washington, D.C., stands forlorn …
—Stephen Jay Gould, Natural History, November 1986
she was forlorn when she found out the trip had been cancelled
a forlorn wanderer far from home
James Wolcott, Vanity Fair, September 1998
There is nothing quite so forlorn as a closed factory—Vic Wilcox knows, having supervised a shutdown himself in his time.
—David Lodge, Nice Work, 1990
Like Ozymandias, once king of kings but now two legs of a broken statue in Percy Shelley's desert, the great facade of Union Station in Washington, D.C., stands forlorn …
—Stephen Jay Gould, Natural History, November 1986
she was forlorn when she found out the trip had been cancelled
a forlorn wanderer far from home
Recent Examples on the Web
The ad was standard political fare — a black and white picture of Moskowitz, looking forlorn, and ominous music in the background.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2025
Today, many are boarded up, lying forlorn and derelict or caught in legal tangles between former owners’ descendants; others have been demolished to make way for modern developments, with the antiques and timber sold off by owners.
—Kalpana Sunder, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
Fyah’s voice is at once forlorn and cautiously hopeful, just like the horns that wail in the background across Zion I King’s lush roots reggae production.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2025
Forget not the poor, the forlorn, the sick and the unfortunate in your Christmas preparations.
—Kay Johnson, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forlorn
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Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2025
Today, many are boarded up, lying forlorn and derelict or caught in legal tangles between former owners’ descendants; others have been demolished to make way for modern developments, with the antiques and timber sold off by owners.
—Kalpana Sunder, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
Fyah’s voice is at once forlorn and cautiously hopeful, just like the horns that wail in the background across Zion I King’s lush roots reggae production.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2025
Forget not the poor, the forlorn, the sick and the unfortunate in your Christmas preparations.
—Kay Johnson, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forlorn
Cite this Entry
“Forlorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forlorn. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
forlorn
adjective
for·lorn
fər-ˈlȯ(ə)rn 
fȯr-
1
: feeling sad and lonely especially because of being left alone
2
: nearly hopeless
a forlorn cause
forlornly
adverb
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