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desolate

[ adjective des-uh-lit; verb des-uh-leyt ]
/ adjective ˈdɛs ə lɪt; verb ˈdɛs əˌleɪt /
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adjective
verb (used with object), des·o·lat·ed, des·o·lat·ing.
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Origin of desolate

1325–75; Middle English <Latin dēsōlātus forsaken, past participle of dēsōlāre, equivalent to dē-de- + sōlāre to make lonely, derivative of sōlussole1; see -ate1

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 FROM desolate

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH desolate

desolate , dissolute
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use desolate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for desolate

desolate

adjective (ˈdɛsəlɪt)
verb (ˈdɛsəˌleɪt) (tr)

Derived forms of desolate

desolater or desolator, noundesolately, adverbdesolateness, noun

Word Origin for desolate

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