Meaning & use
desultory
Last updated
Lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm; jumping from one thing to another in a disconnected way.
See it in a sentence
They kept up a desultory conversation while waiting for the train.
His desultory attempts at studying rarely lasted more than ten minutes.
A note on using this word
The word derives from Latin "desultor," a circus rider who leaped between horses, capturing the idea of jumping erratically from one thing to another.
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