desolate

(dĕs'ə-lĭt, dĕz'-)
adj.

1. 1. Devoid of inhabitants; deserted: "streets which were usually so thronged now grown desolate" (Daniel Defoe).
   2. Barren; lifeless: the rocky, desolate surface of the moon.
2. Rendered unfit for habitation or use: the desolate cities of war-torn Europe.
3. Dreary; dismal.
4. Bereft of friends or hope; sad and forlorn. See synonyms at sad.

tr.v., -lat·ed, -lat·ing, -lates. (-lāt')

1. To rid or deprive of inhabitants.
2. To lay waste; devastate: "Here we have no wars to desolate our fields" (Michel Guillaume Jean de Crèvecoeur).
3. To forsake; abandon.
4. To make lonely, forlorn, or wretched.

[Middle English desolat, from Latin dēsōlātus, past participle of dēsōlāre, to abandon : dē-, de- + sōlus, alone.]

desolately des'o·late·ly adv.
desolateness des'o·late·ness n.
desolater des'o·lat'er or des'o·la'tor n.

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adjective

1. Empty of people: deserted, forlorn, godforsaken, lonely, lonesome, unfrequented. See full/empty/capacity.
2. Dark and depressing: black, bleak, blue, cheerless, dark, dismal, dreary, gloomy, glum, joyless, somber, tenebrific. See happy/unhappy, light/darkness.
3. Having been given up and left alone: abandoned, bereft, derelict, deserted, forlorn, forsaken, lorn. See keep/release.
4. Dejected due to the awareness of being alone: forlorn, lonely, lonesome, lorn. See happy/unhappy.
5. In low spirits: blue, dejected, depressed, dispirited, down, downcast, downhearted, dull, dysphoric, gloomy, heavy-hearted, low, melancholic, melancholy, sad, spiritless, tristful, unhappy, wistful. Idioms: downatinthe mouth. See happy/unhappy.

verb

To destroy completely as or as if by conquering: devastate, ravage, waste. Idioms: lay waste. See help/harm/harmless.

adj

Definition: depressed, despondent
Antonyms: cheerful, happy, pleased

adj

Definition: unused, barren
Antonyms: cultivated, populated, used

v

Definition: ravage, destroy
Antonyms: build, construct, improve

IN BRIEF: Deserted. Also: Miserable.

They tiny town was so desolate they didn't even stop for gas.

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For a list of words related to desolate, see:

• Sad, Serious, Pessimistic, or Discontented

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See words rhyming with "desolate."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Desolate.

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - forladt, ensom, ubeboet, ulykkelig
v. tr. - forlade, gøre ulykkelig, gøre ensom, affolke

Nederlands (Dutch)
verlaten, uitgestorven, woest, eenzaam/ellendig, verlaten/ troosteloos maken, ontvolken

Français (French)
adj. - désolé, désert, dévasté, ravagé, (fig) sombre, morne, affligé au désespoir, délaissé, solitaire
v. tr. - désoler, ravager (un pays), affliger (un pays)

Deutsch (German)
adj. - trostlos, verlassen, öde
v. - verwüsten, verlassen, betrüben, in Verzweiflung stürzen

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - έρημος, παντέρημος, εγκαταλελειμμένος, ακατοίκητος, απαρηγόρητος, συντετριμμένος

Italiano (Italian)
desolato, deserto

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - desolado

Русский (Russian)
одинокий, пустынный, обезлюдевший, заброшенный

Español (Spanish)
adj. - desolado, yermo, desierto, aislado, solitario, abandono
v. tr. - asolar, afligir, arrasar

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - ödslig, kal, tröstlös

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
荒凉的, 使荒芜, 使孤寂

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 荒涼的
v. tr. - 使荒蕪, 使孤寂

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 적막한, 버려진, 외로운
v. tr. - 황폐 시키다, 적막하게 하다

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 荒れ果てた, 寂しい
v. - 荒廃させる, 寂しくさせる

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) مهجور وباعث للحزن او الخوف, تعيس من غير أصدقاء, وحيد وحزين‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮שומם, עזוב, אומלל, הרוס, ריק‬
v. tr. - ‮אימלל, הזניח‬

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