desultory
Americanadjective
-
lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful.
desultory conversation.
-
digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random.
a desultory remark.
adjective
-
passing or jumping from one thing to another, esp in a fitful way; unmethodical; disconnected
-
occurring in a random or incidental way; haphazard
a desultory thought
Other Word Forms
- desultorily adverb
- desultoriness noun
Etymology
Origin of desultory
1575–85; < Latin dēsultōrius pertaining to a dēsultor (a circus rider who jumps from one horse to another), equivalent to dēsul-, variant stem of dēsilīre to jump down ( dē- de- + -silīre, combining form of salīre to leap) + -tōrius -tory 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Iraqi Shiite militias, after some desultory drone and rocket attacks on U.S. forces, scaled back.
For one of the few exhilarating times in this desultory season, they were truly SC.
From Los Angeles Times
Last night he did an obscure X interview show and seemed desultory and depressed.
From Salon
“How to Rob a Bank” isn’t really interested in those bigger questions, instead heading in a more desultory direction.
From New York Times
His latest victim was Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who on Sunday ended his campaign with a desultory video in which he endorsed Trump.
From Seattle Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
