desolate

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈdɛsələt/ UK /ˈdɛsələt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
deserted, bleak, and devoid of comfort or inhabitants

They crossed a desolate stretch of windswept moorland.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · deserted, bleak, and devoid... bleak barren forlorn dreary deserted forsaken wretched

Opposites

populous cheerful inhabited flourishing comforted

Word family

Forms desolatelydesolateness

Derived forms desolatelydesolatenessdesolationdesolator

Related forms sole solitary solitude

Simplified etymology

Desolate, recorded in late Middle English, comes ultimately from Latin solus “alone.” It belongs to the same historical word family as the adjective sole “only,” solitary, solo, and solitaire.

Etymology

From Latin desolatus, past participle of desolare ('to leave alone, forsake'), from de- ('completely') + solus ('alone').

desolare Latin solus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# desolate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈdɛsələt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈdɛsələt/

## Meanings
1. deserted, bleak, and devoid of comfort or inhabitants

## Examples
- They crossed a desolate stretch of windswept moorland.

## Synonyms
- bleak
- barren
- forlorn
- dreary
- deserted
- forsaken
- wretched

## Antonyms
- populous
- cheerful
- inhabited
- flourishing
- comforted

## Derived Forms
- desolately
- desolateness
- desolation
- desolator

## Related Forms
- sole
- solitary
- solitude

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: desolare
- Root: solus

## Etymology
From Latin desolatus, past participle of desolare ('to leave alone, forsake'), from de- ('completely') + solus ('alone').

## AI Etymology
Desolate is from Latin desolatus, past participle of desolare ('to leave alone, forsake'), from de- ('completely') + solus ('alone'). In present-day use, it means deserted, bleak, and devoid of comfort or inhabitants. Derived formations include desolately, desolateness, desolation, and desolator. Related vocabulary includes sole, solitary, and solitude.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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