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Definition of desolate adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

desolate

adjective
 
/ˈdesələt/
 
/ˈdesələt/
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  1. (of a place) empty and without people, making you feel sad or frightened
    • They looked out on a bleak and desolate landscape.
    Extra Examples
    • The house stands desolate and empty.
    • The land was left desolate.
    • The landscape was completely desolate.
    • a rather desolate place
    • It was difficult to imagine a more desolate place.
    • The forest was now a desolate wasteland of charred tree stumps.
    • There stretched out before them miles of utterly wild and desolate terrain.
    Topics Geographyc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • seem
    • stand
    adverb
    • completely
    • quite
    • rather
    See full entry
  2. very lonely and unhappy synonym forlorn
    • The loss of his friend made him feel utterly desolate.
    Extra Examples
    • Her voice sounded a little desolate.
    • She was utterly desolate after losing her baby.
    • They were far from their families, desolate and frightened.
    Topics Feelingsc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • feel
    • look
    adverb
    • utterly
    See full entry
  3. Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin desolatus ‘abandoned’, past participle of desolare, from de- ‘thoroughly’ + solus ‘alone’.
See desolate in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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