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Desultory: meaning, example and synonyms

Desultoryadj. Lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm; jumping randomly from one thing to another.

Flashcard for Desultory (adjective): lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm; jumping randomly from one thing to another. Example: After months of desultory negotiations, in which delegates arrived late and raised unrelated grievances, the two sides had made no progress at all. Synonyms: aimless, halfhearted, haphazard, random. Antonyms: methodical, focused, systematic, purposeful. Memory tip: Latin desultor = a rider who jumped from horse to horse: no steady course. Illustration: a fully clothed student slouched at a desk idly flipping through several open books at once, a half-finished drawing and an untouched notebook nearby.

Example

After months of desultory negotiations, in which delegates arrived late and raised unrelated grievances, the two sides had made no progress at all.

Part of speech
adjective
Synonyms
aimless, halfhearted, haphazard, random
Antonyms
methodical, focused, systematic, purposeful
Memory tip
Latin desultor = a rider who jumped from horse to horse: no steady course.

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Check yourself: Desultory in context

Pick the word that best completes each text.

Question 1

The committee's ______ discussion wandered from parking fees to holiday decorations without reaching a decision on the budget it had met to approve.

Question 2

Her ______ efforts at learning the cello, a few minutes here and there with long gaps between, produced little improvement over three years.

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