1. 1. Appearing sad or lonely because deserted or abandoned.
   2. Forsaken or deprived: forlorn of all hope.
2. Wretched or pitiful in appearance or condition: forlorn roadside shacks.
3. Nearly hopeless; desperate. See synonyms at despondent.

[Middle English forloren, past participle of forlesen, to abandon, from Old English forlēosan.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.