Most of the others also lit their pipes and a desultory conversation ensued.
Source: tatoeba (837366)
Desultory
/ˈdɛs.əlˌtɔɹ.i/
Synonyms for "desultory" (222 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (45)
Strong matches (66)
dizzyeccentricepisodicerranterraticexcursivefast and looseficklefitfulflickeringflickeryflickyflightyflittingfluctuatingflutteringflutteryformlessfreakishfrivolous
Show 45 more words
giddygratuitousgutteringhaltinghaphazardhazardousherky-jerkyheteroclitehit-or-missimmethodicalimpetuousimpulsiveinchoateincoherentinconsistentinconstantindecisiveindirectindiscriminateinfirminsecureinsubstantialintermittentintermittingirregularirresoluteirresponsiblejerkylabyrinthinelooselurchingmaunderingmazymeanderingmeaninglessmercurialmisshapenmoodynonsymmetricalnonsystematicnonuniformon-again-off-againorderlessout-of-the-waypatchy
Adjective(1 words)
Related words (111)
perilousplanetaryplanlessprecariouspromiscuousprovisionalpurposelessramblingrandomrestlessriskyroughrovingscatterbrainedscrappysenselessserpentineshakyshapelessshifting
Show 89 more words
shiftyshufflingslapdashslipperysnakysnatchyspasmaticspasmicspasmodicspasticspinelesssplutteringsporadicspottysputteringsputterystaggeringstragglingstragglystrayswervingsystemlesstemporarytentativeticklishtreacherousturningtwistingunaccountableunarrangeduncertainunclassifiedunconsidereduncontrolledundependableundirectedundisciplinedunequalunevenunfaithworthyunfixedungradedunjoinedunmethodicalunmetricalunorderedunorganizedunplannedunpredictableunregularunreliableunrestrainedunrhythmicalunsettledunsolidunsortedunsoundunstableunstable as waterunstaidunsteadfastunsteadyunsubstantialunsureunsymmetricalunsystematicuntrustworthyununiformvacillatingvagrantvaguevariableveeringvicissitudinaryvicissitudinousvolatilewanderingwantonwaveringwaverywavywaywardwhimsicalwindingwishy washywishy-washywobblingwobblyzigzag
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: aberrant, aberrative, adrift, afloat, aimless.
- Sentence evidence is available for desultory, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, opengloss, derived_reverse.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "desultory".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "desultory"
Keep "desultory" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "desultory" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "desultory", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "desultory" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
2 entriesMore specific
4 entriesdigressive narrativedisconnected argumentrambling stylewandering focus
Collocations
6 entriesdesultory approachdesultory discussiondesultory readingdesultory remarksdesultory reviewdesultory thinking
Inflections
2 entriesmore desultorymost desultory
Derivations
2 entriessimilar
1 entriesSample sentences
13 total sentences available.
His studies are very desultory and eccentric, but he has amassed a lot of out-of-the-way knowledge which would astonish his professors.
Source: tatoeba (6289684)
The conversation had roamed in a desultory spasmodic fashion from golf clubs to the causes of the change in the obliquity of the ecliptic.
Source: tatoeba (7043874)
He wandered round, cleaning up in a desultory way.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 13 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "desultory"?
Closest matches include aberrant, aberrative, adrift, afloat, aimless.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "desultory"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.