Definition Definition

desolate - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'desolate' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Desolate [ a.]
- Destitute or deprived of inhabitants; deserted; uninhabited; hence, gloomy; as, a desolate isle; a desolate wilderness; a desolate house.
- Laid waste; in a ruinous condition; neglected; destroyed; as, desolate altars.
- Left alone; forsaken; lonely; comfortless.
- Lost to shame; dissolute.
- Destitute of; lacking in.
2 . Desolate [ v. t.]
- To make desolate; to leave alone; to deprive of inhabitants; as, the earth was nearly desolated by the flood.
- To lay waste; to ruin; to ravage; as, a fire desolates a city.

Meaning of 'desolate' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . desolate [ v]
Meaning (1):
- cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly
Example in sentence:
  • The enemy lay waste to the countryside after the invasion
Meaning (2):
- reduce in population
Example in sentence:
  • The epidemic depopulated the countryside
Meaning (3):
- leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
Example in sentence:
  • The mother deserted her children
4 . desolate [ s]
Meaning (4):
- crushed by grief
Example in sentence:
  • a low desolate wail;
  • depressed and desolate of soul
Meaning (5):
- providing no shelter or sustenance
Example in sentence:
  • a stark landscape;
  • bare rocky hills;
  • barren lands;
  • the bleak treeless regions of the high Andes;
  • the desolate surface of the moon

Nearby Words:

descant descanted descanter descanting descend descendant descended descendent descender descendibility

See 'desolate' also in:

Dictionary.com Google Translator Wikipedia.com Merriam Webster

Categories

Browse Dictionary