desultory
[ des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee ]
/ ˈdɛs əlˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /
Save This Word!
adjective
lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!
In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”
Question 1 of 7
The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.
Origin of desultory
OTHER WORDS FROM desultory
des·ul·to·ri·ly, adverbdes·ul·to·ri·ness, nounWords nearby desultory
desulfur, desulfurase, desulfurate, desulfurize, desulphurize, desultory, Desyrel, DET, detach, detached, detached retina
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for desultory
British Dictionary definitions for desultory
desultory
/ (ˈdɛsəltərɪ, -trɪ) /
adjective
passing or jumping from one thing to another, esp in a fitful way; unmethodical; disconnected
occurring in a random or incidental way; haphazarda desultory thought
Derived forms of desultory
desultorily, adverbdesultoriness, nounWord Origin for desultory
C16: from Latin dēsultōrius, relating to one who vaults or jumps, hence superficial, from dēsilīre to jump down, from de- + salīre to jump
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012