Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Having no set plan; haphazard or random. See Synonyms at chance.
- adj. Moving or jumping from one thing to another; disconnected: a desultory speech.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Leaping; hopping about; moving irregularly.
- Swerving from point to point; irregularly shifting in course; devious: as, desultory movements; a desultory saunter.
- Veering about from one thing to another; whiffling; unmethodical; irregular; disconnected: as, a desultory conversation.
- Coming suddenly, as if by leaping into view; started at the moment; random.
- Synonyms and Rambling, roving, unsystematic, irregular. See irregular.
Wiktionary
- adj. Jumping, or passing, from one thing or subject to another, without order or rational connection; without logical sequence; disconnected; immethodical; aimless.
- adj. Out of course; by the way; as a digression; not connected with the subject.
- adj. Disappointing in performance or progress.
- adj. Leaping, skipping or flitting about, generally in a random, irregular, wavering, or unsteady manner.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Leaping or skipping about.
- adj. Jumping, or passing, from one thing or subject to another, without order or rational connection; without logical sequence; disconnected; immethodical; aimless.
- adj. Out of course; by the way; as a digression; not connected with the subject.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. marked by lack of definite plan or regularity or purpose; jumping from one thing to another
Etymologies
- Latin dēsultōrius, leaping, from dēsultor, a leaper, from dēsultus, past participle of dēsilīre, to leap down : dē-, de- + salīre, to jump; see sel- in Indo-European roots.
Examples
“Icahn plans to "[offer] up anecdotes and a running commentary on what he describes as the desultory state of corporate governance in America.”
“We present for your inspection, and then debunk, or paw at in desultory fashion, a dozen of the choicest conspiracy theories to gain traction since Jan. 20.”
“He seems to have worried about the aimless guest, that individual who would wander about in desultory manner, constantly amazed yet never really subjecting the exhibits to serious study.”
The Romance of China: Excursions to China in U.S. Culture: 1776-1876
“By the merest chances, they heard that all was well, and, compelled to be content with this scanty news, they plunged into their work again, till the roar of cannon and clash of steel became familiar as were the terrors of the scene of some desperate fight, such as modern soldiers would speak of as a desultory skirmish.”
“Obviously, U.S. investigators will be part of the effort to determine what the source of cause of this is, but I think I'd rather not speculate, based on this point, very kind of desultory information.”
“Over the past few years, there’s been what I’d call a desultory, on-and-off debate, if it can be termed such, over the future of books, and of fiction.”
“The executive has the habit of depending upon "desultory" memory where the logical should be developed.”
Increasing Human Efficiency in Business: A Contribution to the Psychology of Business
“Edmund again enjoyed a kind of desultory education, partly carried on at school and partly at his uncle's home, where he enjoyed the advantage of the kind instructions of his old friend, Miss”
“The port needs many improvements, and the Government has for some time been engaged in a kind of desultory dredging out there, but has not yet succeeded in affording a sufficient depth of water to allow large vessels to come directly to the wharves; and the lines of artificial obstruction, built across the channel of the bay during the war, to impede the passage of vessels, have not yet been removed.”
“There was some "desultory" eating in this camp, but so little of it that there was no lasting effect.”
Detailed Minutiae of Soldier life in the Army of Northern Virginia, 1861-1865
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘desultory’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4084 more...
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Iaan
dirigisme, dystopia, cacotopia, ex ante, veritable, indefatigable, curmudgeon, desultory, antediluvian, transmogrify, pendent, elongate and 136 more...
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SAT Words
But only the ones that I don't already know.
abase, abash, abominate, abstruse, acclivity, accolade, accost, adroit, adulate, adulterate, adumbrate, affray and 241 more...
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Vocab
goat rodeo, fardel, quotidian, deportment, opprobrium, deracinated, inculcate, desultory, orotund, chivvy, diktat, casuistry and 24 more...
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Random Words! Add Your Own! :D
Randomness time! Add your own words. ❤
Love, bucket, brigade, actuary, canal, canasta, why is the door open, coconut, stochastic, haphazard, accidental, chance and 38 more...
Telofy A pity it doesn't come up in the actual lyrics of the song.
But I found also a band with that name. Aug 8, 2009
skipvia Nobody defines it better than Paul Simon. Or here, if you want the audio.
I suspect this is the only use of desultory in a song title. Aug 8, 2009
Telofy My thesaurus defines it as random. What a funny word. I have this voice in my head: imagine someone with a good valley girl accent saying something in the lines of “I'm, like, Tiffany, you know, from, like, Lawndale? (vocal fry) Ooohh, your (sic), like, from Lawndale, too? That's like sooo desultory? (vocal fry) Totally awesome?�? Aug 7, 2009
ahuja.ankit I am reading a book that says it belongs to the "SULT" family, which means jumping onto something.
other examples would be 'exultant' that mean jumping out of joy. Mar 16, 2008
uselessness Eh, I just don't say this word. Though if I did, I would say it wrong. Deliberately. ;-) Aug 21, 2007
jennarenn Yep. If there's something to mispronouce or misspell, jennarenn's already on it. :-/ Aug 21, 2007
reesetee What's worse, oroboros, is that I already know that but keep forgetting! Aaarrgh! Aug 21, 2007
oroboros Wow! Just learned I've been mispronouncing this all my life! Anybody else? It ain't de SUL tor ee. Aaarrgh! Aug 21, 2007
reesetee That's great! Thanks, seanahan. Aug 21, 2007
seanahan The etymology is awesome. "désultor (a circus rider who jumps from one horse to another" Aug 20, 2007