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desolate

[adjective des-uh-lit; verb des-uh-leyt]
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adjective

verb (used with object), des·o·lat·ed, des·o·lat·ing.

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RELATED WORDS

desperately, sadly, dispiritedly, cynically, darkly, dejectedly, despairingly, despondently, disconsolately, dismally, emptily, gloomily, pessimistically

Nearby words

  1. desmoulins, camille,
  2. desna,
  3. desnood,
  4. deso,
  5. desocialize,
  6. desolation,
  7. desonide,
  8. desorb,
  9. desorption,
  10. desoximetasone

Origin of desolate

1325–75; Middle English < Latin dēsōlātus forsaken, past participle of dēsōlāre, equivalent to dē- de- + sōlāre to make lonely, derivative of sōlus sole1; see -ate1
ANTONYMS FOR desolate
4. delighted, happy.
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Related forms
Can be confuseddesolate dissolute

Synonym study

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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for desolately

British Dictionary definitions for desolately

desolate

adjective (ˈdɛsəlɪt)

uninhabited; deserted
made uninhabitable; laid waste; devastated
without friends, hope, or encouragement; forlorn, wretched, or abandoned
gloomy or dismal; depressing

verb (ˈdɛsəˌleɪt) (tr)

to deprive of inhabitants; depopulate
to make barren or lay waste; devastate
to make wretched or forlorn
to forsake or abandon
Derived Formsdesolater 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
Word Origin and History for desolately
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper