desolation
dess-uh-LAY-shuhn
/ˌdes.əˈleɪ.ʃən/
A state of complete emptiness, loneliness, or ruinous grief.
Describes both a physical wasteland and an inner feeling of total abandonment.
The story behind the word. From Latin solus (alone) came desolari, meaning to render completely solitary or lay waste. By the late fourteenth century, desolation described both barren, ruined landscapes wiped clear of life and the hollow internal wilderness left behind after devastating loss.
Word relationships
- barrenness: Barrenness focuses on inability to produce life, while desolation highlights loneliness and destruction.
- devastation: Devastation focuses on physical destruction, whereas desolation combines physical ruin with emotional void.
- fecundity: Fecundity means fertility, abundance, and lush growth.
- populousness: Populousness describes being full of inhabitants and activity.
Commonly confused with
- isolation: Isolation means being alone; desolation means being tragically alone in ruin or grief.
Word family
- desolate (adjective): Deserted of people and in a state of bleak emptiness.
- desolately (adverb): In a desolate, bleak manner.
Collocations
- scene of desolation
- utter desolation
- sense of desolation
- desolation of spirit
Idioms & expressions
- a lonely wasteland
- empty shell
Example sentences
- "The bombing left a scene of total desolation, with shattered stone and barren streets stretching for miles." Post-war narrative
- "A profound sense of desolation settled over her after all her lifelong companions moved away." Psychological depth
Memory hook
DESOLATION = DE (completely) + SOLE (alone). Completely alone in a ruined wasteland.
When not to use
Do not use to describe a busy or slightly dirty urban street; it requires complete emptiness or grief.
Fun facts
- In J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, the ruined wasteland created around the Lonely Mountain by the dragon is titled 'The Desolation of Smaug'.
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