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desultory

adjective
des·​ul·​to·​ry | \ ˈde-sÉ™l-ËŒtȯr-Ä“ How to pronounce desultory (audio) , -zÉ™l-; di-ˈsÉ™l-t(É™-)rÄ“, -ˈzÉ™l-\

Definition of desultory

1 : marked by lack of definite plan, regularity, or purpose a dragged-out ordeal of … desultory shopping— Herman Wouk
2 : not connected with the main subject desultory comments
3 : disappointing in progress, performance, or quality a desultory fifth place finish a desultory wine
Other Words from desultory Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about desultory

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Other Words from desultory

desultorily \ ËŒde-​sÉ™l-​ˈtȯr-​É™-​lÄ“ How to pronounce desultorily (audio) \ adverb
desultoriness \ ˈde-​sÉ™l-​ËŒtȯr-​Ä“-​nÉ™s How to pronounce desultoriness (audio) \ noun

Did You Know?

The Latin adjective desultorius, the parent of desultory, was used by the ancients to refer to a circus performer (called a desultor) whose trick was to leap from horse to horse without stopping. It makes sense, therefore, that someone or something desultory "jumps" from one thing to another. (Desultor and desultorius, by the way, are derived from the Latin verb salire, which means "to leap.") A desultory conversation leaps from one topic to another and doesn't have a distinct point or direction. A desultory student skips from one subject to another without applying serious effort to any one. A desultory comment is a digressive one that jumps away from the topic at hand. And a desultory performance is one resulting from an implied lack of steady, focused effort.

Examples of desultory in a Sentence

a desultory search for something of interest on TV a desultory discussion about the news of the day

Recent Examples on the Web

 Let this be a reminder that the rich are very different than you and I. Last Thursday’s Cubs-Reds game was a desultory blowout, a game that only diehards on either side watch until the end. — Jon Tayler, SI.com, "MLB Should Threaten Tanking Teams With Relegation," 13 Aug. 2019 That desultory number, though slowly increasing, makes clear that, for all the technology’s upsides in performance, design, and environmental impact, consumers remain skeptical of the high prices and limited range that come with a charging cord. — Alex Davies, WIRED, "Now on Used Car Lots: Great Electric Vehicles for Cheap," 5 Aug. 2019 Joe Biden, the front-runner in polls, faces pressure to recover from a desultory performance last month in his first venture on the nationaldebate stage since running for reelection as vice president in 2012. — Los Angeles Times, "Biden and little-known candidates have the most at stake in this week’s Democratic debate," 29 July 2019 The other will be for Word documents and desultory Googling. — Conor Orr, SI.com, "Predicting Every Team’s Record for the 2019 NFL Season," 17 July 2019 Lowry, once known as a hothead and a man who seemed destined to take a desultory path through the NBA, became the team’s conscience in this series. — Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, "To win, Raptors had to stop Stephen Curry — and they did in the end," 13 June 2019 The government’s desultory effort to prosecute seven defendants has not yielded a single conviction. — Sadanand Dhume, WSJ, "Pakistan, Stop Coddling Terrorists," 29 Nov. 2018 The first two games, desultory losses at Denver and Chicago, certainly validated the camp that feels the Seahawks’ era of dominance has ended. — Larry Stone, The Seattle Times, "In win over Cowboys, Seahawks show they can thrive amid the Earl Thomas chaos," 24 Sep. 2018 The American workplace in 2018 is a mostly a desultory place, with corner offices replaced by picnic tables, and the two martini lunch jettisoned for the sad midday salad. — Jason Gay, WSJ, "The Life-Changing Magic of Chicken Wings and Sports Betting," 13 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'desultory.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of desultory

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for desultory

Latin desultorius, literally, of a circus rider who leaps from horse to horse, from desilire to leap down, from de- + salire to leap — more at sally

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More Definitions for desultory

desultory

adjective
How to pronounce desultory (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of desultory

formal
: not having a plan or purpose
: done without serious effort

See the full definition for desultory in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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More from Merriam-Webster on desultory

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with desultory

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for desultory

Spanish Central: Translation of desultory

Nglish: Translation of desultory for Spanish Speakers

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