desolate

//ˈdɛsələt//
C1Frequency Level 12Literary
Visual representation of desolate

Adjective

desolateCanonical form
1

(Of a place) Empty, barren, and bleak, giving an impression of abandonment and loneliness.

The desolate landscape stretched for miles without a single tree or building in sight.

2

(Of a person) Feeling or showing great unhappiness or loneliness.

She felt desolate after her best friend moved away.

Verb

desolateInfinitive
desolatePresent tense
desolatedPast tense
desolatedPast participle
desolatingPresent participle
desolatesThird-person singular
1

To make a place empty, barren, or lifeless; to devastate or lay waste to.

The long war desolated the once fertile farmland.

2

To make someone feel deeply unhappy and alone.

The sudden loss of her best friend desolated her.