Antonyms for forlornness


Grammar : Noun
Spell : fawr-lawrn
Phonetic Transcription : fɔrˈlɔrn


Definition of forlornness

Origin :
  • mid-12c., forloren "disgraced, depraved," past participle of obsolete forlesan "be deprived of, lose, abandon," from Old English forleosan "to lose, abandon, let go; destroy, ruin," from for- "completely" + leosan "to lose" (see lose). In the Mercian hymns, Latin perditionis is glossed by Old English forlorenisse.
  • Sense of "forsaken, abandoned" is 1530s; that of "wretched, miserable" first recorded 1580s. A common Germanic compound (cf. Old Saxon farilosan, Old Frisian urliasa, Middle Dutch verliesen, Dutch verliezen, Old High German virliosan, German verlieren, Gothic fraliusan "to lose").
  • Commonly in forlorn hope (1570s), which is a partial translation of Dutch verloren hoop, in which hoop means "troop, band," literally "heap," and the sense of the whole phrase is of a suicide mission. The phrase is usually used incorrectly in English, and the misuse has colored the sense of forlorn. Related: Forlornly; forlornness.
  • As in loneliness : noun isolation
  • As in sadness : noun unhappiness, depression
  • As in downheartedness : noun gloom
  • As in dreariness : noun gloominess
  • As in hopelessness : noun despair
  • As in desolation : noun uninhabitated area; barrenness
  • As in despair : noun depression, hopelessness
Example sentences :
  • We had subjected ourselves to all this forlornness simply for pleasure.
  • Extract from : « In the Wilderness » by Charles Dudley Warner
  • He was obsessed by the solitary idea of his own forlornness.
  • Extract from : « The Kingdom Round the Corner » by Coningsby Dawson
  • The old sense of forlornness, of being alone and uncared for, returned to her.
  • Extract from : « Little Lost Sister » by Virginia Brooks
  • Though one had a pity for his forlornness, there was still an admiration.
  • Extract from : « The Blind Spot » by Austin Hall
  • "Troth, it serves me nothing," she said, with a forlornness he could not understand.
  • Extract from : « Captain Ravenshaw » by Robert Neilson Stephens
  • But there were no tears in her eyes, no forlornness in her voice.
  • Extract from : « The Grain Of Dust » by David Graham Phillips
  • All about her seemed elastic; depression, fear, forlornness, were withdrawn.
  • Extract from : « Shirley » by Charlotte Bront
  • Still her despair and forlornness weighed upon her more and more.
  • Extract from : « Geoffrey Hampstead » by Thomas Stinson Jarvis
  • The forlornness of the bookcase gave a stricken air to the whole room.
  • Extract from : « Hilda Lessways » by Arnold Bennett
  • They loved to be near one another that their forlornness might pain them less.
  • Extract from : « A Love Episode » by Emile Zola

Synonyms for forlornness

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019