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desolate

deserted / bleak / miserable / devastate
AdjectiveTransitive Verb
past: desolatedpp: desolateding: desolating

This term evokes a sense of absolute void, whether physical or emotional. When describing a landscape, it suggests a harsh, sterile environment where life cannot thrive, often carrying a connotation of bleakness or indifference from nature. In an emotional sense, it describes a state of grief so profound that the individual feels completely isolated from others. It is more intense than mere sadness, implying a total lack of hope or companionship.

Meanings

Adjective

(of a place) deserted of people and in a state of bleak and dismal emptiness

"The hikers wandered through the desolate landscape of the high plateau."

Adjective

feeling sorry and lonely; profoundly unhappy

"She felt utterly desolate after the sudden death of her closest friend."

Transitive Verb
[~ something]

To make a place desolate by destroying its buildings and killing its inhabitants

"The invading army proceeded to desolate the entire province."

Related Words

Last Updated: June 13, 2026Report an Error