marooned

[muh-roond]

adjective

1. abandoned on a desolate island or coast by way of punishment or the like, as was done by buccaneers.

   In exchange for food supplies left for them on the island, the marooned mutineers handed over the ship's instruments and charts.

2. placed or left in an isolated and often dangerous position.

   Getting flood relief to the marooned villages has proved difficult.

3. abandoned or stuck somewhere without resources.

   When flights were grounded after 9/11, Canadians offered their hospitality and their homes to put up marooned Americans.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of maroon.

Word History and Origins

Origin of marooned¹

maroon ² + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

In fact, the company says the app’s downloads have tripled since the FAA reduced air traffic earlier this month, which sparked a mad scramble across the industry and left travelers marooned.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"People marooned on rooftops are asking to be rescued," Cebu information officer Rhon Ramos told AFP by phone, adding that even some evacuation centres had been flooded.

Read more on Barron's

Jamaica's Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon said on Friday "there are entire communities that seem to be marooned and areas that seem to be flattened".

Read more on BBC

"There are entire communities that seem to be marooned and areas that seem to be flattened," Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon said.

Read more on BBC

In Jamaica, "there are entire communities that seem to be marooned and areas that seem to be flattened," Dixon said, adding there are "devastating" scenes in western regions.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• ashore 
• stranded 
• wrecked