desolate

[ adjective des-uh-lit; verb des-uh-leyt ]
See synonyms for desolate on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. barren or laid waste; devastated: a treeless, desolate landscape.

  2. deprived or destitute of inhabitants; deserted; uninhabited.

  1. solitary; lonely: a desolate life.

  2. having the feeling of being abandoned by friends or by hope; forlorn.

  3. dreary; dismal; gloomy: desolate prospects.

verb (used with object),des·o·lat·ed, des·o·lat·ing.
  1. to lay waste; devastate.

  2. to deprive of inhabitants; depopulate.

  1. to make disconsolate.

  2. to forsake or abandon.

Origin of desolate

1
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Latin dēsōlātus “forsaken,” past participle of dēsōlāre, from dē- de- + sōlāre “to make lonely” (derivative of sōlus sole1 )

synonym study For desolate

4. Desolate, disconsolate, forlorn suggest one who is in a sad and wretched condition. The desolate person is deprived of human consolation, relationships, or presence: desolate and despairing. The disconsolate person is aware of the efforts of others to console and comfort, but is unable to be relieved or cheered by them: She remained disconsolate even in the midst of friends. The forlorn person is lost, deserted, or forsaken by friends: wretched and forlorn in a strange city.

Other words for desolate

Opposites for desolate

Other words from desolate

  • des·o·late·ly, adverb
  • des·o·late·ness, noun
  • des·o·lat·er, des·o·la·tor, noun
  • qua·si-des·o·late, adjective
  • qua·si-des·o·late·ly, adverb

Words that may be confused with desolate

Words Nearby desolate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use desolate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for desolate

desolate

adjective(ˈdɛsəlɪt)
  1. uninhabited; deserted

  2. made uninhabitable; laid waste; devastated

  1. without friends, hope, or encouragement; forlorn, wretched, or abandoned

  2. gloomy or dismal; depressing

verb(ˈdɛsəˌleɪt) (tr)
  1. to deprive of inhabitants; depopulate

  2. to make barren or lay waste; devastate

  1. to make wretched or forlorn

  2. to forsake or abandon

Origin of desolate

1
C14: from Latin dēsōlāre to leave alone, from de- + sōlāre to make lonely, lay waste, from sōlus alone

Derived forms of desolate

  • desolater or desolator, noun
  • desolately, adverb
  • desolateness, noun

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