desolate

desolate
desolates, desolating, desolated
(The adjective is pronounced [[t]de̱sələt[/t]]. The verb is pronounced [[t]de̱səleɪt[/t]].)
1) ADJ-GRADED A desolate place is empty of people and lacking in comfort.

...a desolate landscape of flat green fields broken by marsh...

Half-ruined, hardly a building untouched, it's a desolate place.

Syn:
2) ADJ-GRADED: usu v-link ADJ If someone is desolate, they feel very sad, alone, and without hope.

He was desolate without her.

3) VERB If something desolates you, it upsets you and makes you very unhappy. [LITERARY]

[V n] Their inclination to wait and demand more resources desolated President Lincoln.

Syn:
Derived words:
desolated ADJ

I saw them walk away and felt absolutely desolated.

desolating ADJ-GRADED

They have maintained their optimism in the face of desolating subjugation.


English dictionary. 2008.

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  • Desolate — Des o*late, a. [L. desolatus, p. p. of desolare to leave alone, forsake; de + solare to make lonely, solus alone. See {Sole}, a.] 1. Destitute or deprived of inhabitants; deserted; uninhabited; hence, gloomy; as, a desolate isle; a desolate… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • desolate — [adj1] unused, barren abandoned, bare, bleak, derelict, desert, destroyed, dreary, empty, forsaken, godforsaken*, isolated, lonely, lonesome, lorn, ruined, solitary, unfrequented, uninhabited, unoccupied, vacant, waste, wild; concepts 485,560 Ant …   New thesaurus

  • Desolate — Des o*late, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Desolated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Desolating}.] 1. To make desolate; to leave alone; to deprive of inhabitants; as, the earth was nearly desolated by the flood. [1913 Webster] 2. To lay waste; to ruin; to ravage; as, a …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • desolate — ► ADJECTIVE 1) giving an impression of bleak and dismal emptiness. 2) utterly wretched and unhappy. ► VERB ▪ make desolate. DERIVATIVES desolation noun. ORIGIN from Latin desolare abandon , from solus alone …   English terms dictionary

  • desolate — [des′ə lit; ] for v. [, des′əlāt΄] adj. [ME desolat < L desolatus, pp. of desolare, to leave alone, forsake, strip of inhabitants < de , intens. + solare, to make lonely < solus, SOLE2] 1. left alone; lonely; solitary 2. uninhabited;… …   English World dictionary

  • desolate — index barren, bleak (exposed and barren), derelict (abandoned), despoil, despondent, destroy (efface) …   Law dictionary

  • desolate — (adj.) mid 14c., without companions, also uninhabited, from L. desolatus, pp. of desolare leave alone, desert, from de completely (see DE (Cf. de )) + solare make lonely, from solus alone (see SOLE (Cf …   Etymology dictionary

  • desolate — 1 forlorn, lorn, lonesome, lone, solitary, lonely, *a!one Analogous words: deserted, forsaken, abandoned (see ABANDON): *miserable, wretched Contrasted words: cheerful, lighthearted, joyful, joyous, happy, *glad 2 *dismal, dreary, cheerless,… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • desolate — adj. 1 empty and depressing VERBS ▪ be, seem, stand ▪ The house stands desolate and empty. ▪ become ▪ leave sth …   Collocations dictionary

  • desolate — desolately, adv. desolateness, n. desolater, desolator, n. adj. /des euh lit/; v. /des euh layt /, adj., v., desolated, desolating. adj. 1. barren or laid waste; devastated: a treeless, desolate landscape …   Universalium

  • desolate — I. adjective Etymology: Middle English desolat, from Latin desolatus, past participle of desolare to abandon, from de + solus alone Date: 14th century 1. devoid of inhabitants and visitors ; deserted 2. joyless, disconsolate, and sorrowful… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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