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Definition of desolation noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

desolation

noun
 
/ˌdesəˈleɪʃn/
 
/ˌdesəˈleɪʃn/
[uncountable] (formal)
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  1. the feeling of being very lonely and unhappy
    • Her death left him with a terrible sense of desolation.
    • She was racked by a feeling of utter desolation.
    Topics Feelingsc2
  2. the state of a place that is badly damaged or destroyed and offers no joy or hope to people
    • a scene of utter desolation
    Extra Examples
    • The newspaper described a scene of complete desolation.
    • areas of urban desolation
  3. Word Originlate Middle English: from late Latin desolatio(n-), from Latin desolare ‘to abandon’, from de- ‘thoroughly’ + solus ‘alone’.
See desolation in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
previously
adverb
 
 
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