First Known Use: 1581
Dictionary
desultory
adjective des·ul·to·ry \ˈde-səl-ˌtȯr-ē also -zəl-\
: not having a plan or purpose
: done without serious effort
Full Definition of DESULTORY
1
: marked by lack of definite plan, regularity, or purpose <a dragged-out ordeal of…desultory shopping — Herman Wouk>
2
: not connected with the main subject
3
: disappointing in progress, performance, or quality <a desultory fifth place finish> <a desultory wine>
— des·ul·to·ri·ly \ˌde-səl-ˈtȯr-ə-lē\ adverb
— des·ul·to·ri·ness \ˈde-səl-ˌtȯr-ē-nəs\ noun
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Origin of DESULTORY
Latin desultorius, literally, of a circus rider who leaps from horse to horse, from desilire to leap down, from de- + salire to leap — more at sally
Related to DESULTORY
- Synonyms
- aimless, arbitrary, catch-as-catch-can, random, erratic, haphazard, helter-skelter, hit-or-miss, scattered, slapdash, stray
- Antonyms
- methodical (also methodic), nonrandom, orderly, organized, regular, systematic, systematized
Rhymes with DESULTORY
a priori, allegory, amatory, auditory, bedtime story, cacciatore, castratory, category, con amore, cover story, crematory, damnatory, decretory, dilatory, dormitory, excretory, expletory, feudatory, fumitory, Göteborg, gustatory, gyratory, horror story, hortatory, hunky-dory, inventory, laudatory, lavatory, mandatory, migratory, minatory, monitory, Montessori, morning glory, nugatory, offertory, oratory, overstory, piscatory, precatory, predatory, prefatory, probatory, promissory, promontory, purgatory, repertory, Ruwenzori, signatory, statutory, sudatory, territory, transitory, understory, vibratory, vomitory, yakitori
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