forlorn
fuh-LORN
/fəˈlɔːn/
Pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely; unlikely to succeed.
Evokes pathetic, helpless sadness arising from abandonment or loss of hope.
The story behind the word. Derived from Old English forloren, past participle of forleosan ('to lose completely'). In military history, a 'forlorn hope' (from Dutch verloren hoop, meaning 'lost troop') referred to a vanguard assigned to a near-suicidal assault.
Word relationships
- desolate: Desolate emphasizes empty barrenness; forlorn emphasizes pitiful, mournful despair.
- cheerful: Cheerful implies bright, optimistic spirits.
Commonly confused with
- withdrawn: Withdrawn is a behavior of pulling inward; forlorn is a pathetic state of visible sadness.
Word family
- forlornly (adverb): in a pitifully sad manner
- forlornness (noun): the state of being forlorn
Collocations
- forlorn hope
- forlorn expression
- look forlorn
Idioms & expressions
- forlorn hope
Example sentences
- "The forlorn little dog sat by the gate, waiting for an owner who would never return." Literary Description
Memory hook
For-LORN sounds like 'forever lost and alone'. Lost, abandoned, and losing hope.
When not to use
Do not use for temporary or mild annoyance.
Fun facts
- 'Forlorn hope' originated from a mistranslation of the Dutch military phrase 'verloren hoop', where 'hoop' meant troop, not hope!
Also appears in
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