desolate
DES-uh-lit
/ˈdes.əl.ət/
Deserted of people and in a state of bleak emptiness; feeling wretched and lonely.
Combines physical emptiness and abandonment with emotional sorrow.
The story behind the word. From Latin de- (thoroughly) + solare (to make lonely, from solus). It originally described cities or fields laid completely waste by war or plague.
Word relationships
- barren: Barren refers specifically to inability to produce growth; desolate emphasizes gloomy abandonment.
- vibrant: Vibrant means full of life, energy, and activity.
Commonly confused with
- solitary: Solitary simply means alone, while desolate carries heavy associations of devastation and grief.
Word family
- desolation (noun): complete emptiness or sorrow
- desolately (adverb): in a gloomy and abandoned manner
Collocations
- desolate landscape
- desolate wasteland
- feel desolate
Example sentences
- "The landscape was bleak and desolate, with not a tree or house in sight." Landscape Description
Memory hook
A de-SOL-ate place has no SOL (sun) or soul left in it. Thoroughly abandoned and empty.
When not to use
Do not use for a cozy room that happens to be briefly unoccupied.
Fun facts
- In Middle English medical texts, desolate was used to describe a body completely drained of fluids.
Explore more words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.