Standard Lemma guide

desolate

adj · verb · 14 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈdɛs.ə.lət/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /ˈdɛsəleɪt/
  • CMU ARPABET: D EH1 S AH0 L AH0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: D EH1 Z AH0 L AH0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 3: D EH1 S AH0 L EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Deserted and devoid of inhabitants.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a desolate isle; a desolate wilderness; a desolate house

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: peopleless, uninhabited, abandoned, derelict, desert, deserted, desolate, discarded, dropped, forlorn, forsaken, high and dry, left behind, orphaned, beingless, disinhabited, inhabitantless, inhabited, lifeless, solitary, tenantless, unhabited, unoccupied, unpeopled, unpopulated, untenanted, vacant, wasteful

Antonyms: inhabited, populated

2

adj

Meaning 2

Barren and lifeless.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dearthful, scrunty, sere, sterile

Antonyms: fertile

3

adj

Meaning 3

Made unfit for habitation or use because of neglect, destruction etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • desolate altars

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: devastated, empty, forsaken, ravaged, wasted

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Dismal or dreary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bleak, gloomy, cheerless, comfortless, dark, morose, depressing, desolate, dire, disconsolate, dismal, doleful, dolesome, drear, drearisome, dreary, dreich, forlorn, gayless, gray, gloomsome, grim, joyless, lack-laughter, lugubrious, melancholy, mirthless, miserable, no joke, saturnine, solemn, somber, sombre, spiritless, sullen, sunless, uncheerful, uncheery, unhappy, unmerry, wintry, woeful

Antonyms: cheerful

5

adj

Meaning 5

Sad, forlorn and hopeless.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He was left desolate by the early death of his wife.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: miserable, sorrowful, atrabiliary, atrabilious, blitheless, dispirited, blue, bummed out, chapfallen, cheerless, chopfallen, crestfallen, cut up, damp, dejected, depressed, despondent, disgruntled, disconsolate, disheartened, dismal, doleful, dolesome, down, down in the dumps, down in the mouth, downcast, downhearted, downsome, dull, elegiac, elegious, forlorn, gloomy, glum, grief-stricken, grieving, heavy-hearted, heartsore, heartsick, inconsolable, infelicitous, jawfallen, joyless, lachrymose, lamentful, low, low-spirited, lugubrious, lumpish, melancholic, melancholy, moody, mopey, morose, mournful, passionate, plaintive, Plutonian, Plutonic, querulous, ruthful, sad, saddened, saturnine, shattered, solemn, sombre, sorrow-ridden, sorrowsome, spiritless, sullen, threnetic, threnetical, triste, tristful, uncheerful, uncheery, unconsolable, unhappy, unlively, wistful, woe, woebegone, woeful, wretched

Antonyms: comforting

6

verb

Meaning 6

To deprive of inhabitants.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: depeople, depopulate, dispeople, unpeople, unpopulate

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To devastate or lay waste somewhere.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: devastate, ravage, destroy, annihilate, aerosolize, atomize, benothing, bewreck, blot out, blotto, dash, decompose, demolish, desolate, diffuse, disintegrate, disperse, dissolve, eliminate, eradicate, erase, exterminate, extinguish, extirpate, fordo, fuck, harry, jazz, lay waste, level, liquidate, nuke, obliterate, overthrow, overturn, pull down, pulverize, race, raze, ravel, remove, ruin, ruinate, stamp out, total, subvert, unbreed, unexist, unmake, uproot, waste, wipe out, wipe off, wreck

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To abandon or forsake something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: give up, relinquish, vacate, withsake

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To make someone sad, forlorn and hopeless.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: deject, get down, aggrieve, attrist, begloom, begrieve, besorrow, grieve, pain, bring down, come down on, contristate, darken, dash, depress, desolate, dispirit, engrieve, forset, grieven, moan, oppress, repent, rue, sadden, sadden up, tristitiate, ungladden, unhappy, upset

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective satellite

Meaning 10

crushed by grief

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • depressed and desolate of soul
  • a low desolate wail

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

adjective satellite

Meaning 11

providing no shelter or sustenance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • bare rocky hills
  • barren lands
  • the bleak treeless regions of the high Andes
  • the desolate surface of the moon
  • a stark landscape

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bare, barren, bleak, stark

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The enemy lay waste to the countryside after the invasion

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lay waste to, waste, devastate, ravage, scourge

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: destroy, ruin

Narrower terms: ruin

13

verb

Meaning 13

reduce in population

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The epidemic depopulated the countryside

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: depopulate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: shrink, reduce

14

verb

Meaning 14

leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The mother deserted her children

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: abandon, forsake, desert

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: leave

Narrower terms: expose, walk out, ditch, maroon, strand

History

Etymology

From Middle English desolat(e). See Etymology 2 and -ate (adjective-forming suffix) for more.

From Middle English desolaten (“to desolate”), from desolat(e) (“desolate”), from Latin dēsōlātus, perfect passive participle of dēsōlō (“to leave alone, make lonely, lay waste, desolate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) for more.

Across languages

Translations

167 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: ամայի (amayi) — deserted
  • Armenian: լքված (lkʻvac) — deserted
  • Armenian: անբնակ (anbnak) — deserted
  • Aromanian: ermu (roa-rup) — deserted
  • Azerbaijani: yalqız — deserted
  • Azerbaijani: tənha — deserted
  • Azerbaijani: boş — deserted
  • Azerbaijani: məskun olmayan — deserted
  • Central Bikol: makapungaw — deserted
  • Bulgarian: безлюден (bezljuden) — deserted
  • Bulgarian: необитаван (neobitavan) — deserted
  • Catalan: desolat — deserted
  • Chinese Mandarin: 荒涼 /荒凉 (huāngliáng) — deserted
  • Danish: øde — deserted
  • Danish: ubeboet — deserted
  • Esperanto: dezerta — deserted
  • Estonian: hüljatud — deserted
  • French: désert — deserted
  • Georgian: ტიალი (ṭiali) — deserted
  • German: verlassen — deserted
  • Gothic: 𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌺𐌻𐍃 (ainakls) — deserted
  • Gothic: 𐌰𐌿𐌸𐌴𐌹𐍃 (auþeis) — deserted
  • Greek: έρημος (érimos) — deserted
  • Greek: ερημωμένος (erimoménos) — deserted
  • Greek: παρατημένος (paratiménos) — deserted
  • Ancient Greek: ἔρημος (érēmos) — deserted
  • Hindi: सुनसान (sunsān) — deserted
  • Hindi: निर्जन (nirjan) — deserted
  • Hindi: वीरान (vīrān) — deserted
  • Hungarian: elhagyatott — deserted
  • Icelandic: auður — deserted
  • Icelandic: mannlaus — deserted
  • Icelandic: yfirgefinn — deserted
  • Italian: desolato — deserted
  • Italian: deserto — deserted
  • Japanese: 荒れた (areta) — deserted
  • Japanese: 寂れた (sabireta) — deserted
  • Latin: vastus — deserted
  • Māori: tūhea — deserted
  • Māori: rohai — deserted
  • Norwegian Bokmål: øde — deserted
  • Norwegian Bokmål: forlatt — deserted
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: aud — deserted
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: forlaten — deserted
  • Portuguese: desolado — deserted
  • Portuguese: deserto — deserted
  • Portuguese: inabitado — deserted
  • Portuguese: ermo — deserted
  • Portuguese: desabitado — deserted
  • Romanian: deșert — deserted
  • Romanian: abandonat — deserted
  • Russian: пусты́нный (pustýnnyj) — deserted
  • Russian: необитаемый (neobitajemyj) — deserted
  • Russian: поки́нутый (pokínutyj) — deserted
  • Slovene: zapuščen — deserted
  • Slovene: opustel — deserted
  • Lower Sorbian: pusty — deserted
  • Spanish: desierto — deserted
  • Swedish: öde — deserted
  • Ottoman Turkish: خراب (harab) — deserted
  • Ottoman Turkish: ویران (viran) — deserted
  • Ukrainian: спустілий (spustilyj) — deserted
  • Ukrainian: опустілий (opustilyj) — deserted
  • Ukrainian: безлюдний (bezljudnyj) — deserted
  • Armenian: ամայի (amayi) — barren, lifeless
  • Central Bikol: makapungaw — barren, lifeless
  • Bulgarian: пуст (pust) — barren, lifeless
  • Catalan: desert — barren, lifeless
  • Catalan: devastat — barren, lifeless
  • Catalan: desolat — barren, lifeless
  • Esperanto: dezerta — barren, lifeless
  • Estonian: kõle — barren, lifeless
  • Gothic: 𐌰𐌿𐌸𐌴𐌹𐍃 (auþeis) — barren, lifeless
  • Greek: έρημος (érimos) — barren, lifeless
  • Greek: άγονος (ágonos) — barren, lifeless
  • Hindi: बंजर (bañjar) — barren, lifeless
  • Hungarian: kihalt — barren, lifeless
  • Hungarian: sivár — barren, lifeless
  • Icelandic: auðnarlegur — barren, lifeless
  • Icelandic: ber — barren, lifeless
  • Icelandic: eyðilegur — barren, lifeless
  • Icelandic: gróðurlaus — barren, lifeless
  • Icelandic: harðindalegur — barren, lifeless
  • Icelandic: hrjóstrugur — barren, lifeless
  • Icelandic: hörgralegur — barren, lifeless
  • Icelandic: rýr — barren, lifeless
  • Icelandic: óbyggilegur — barren, lifeless
  • Japanese: 荒れた (areta) — barren, lifeless
  • Japanese: 寂れた (sabireta) — barren, lifeless
  • Latin: vastus — barren, lifeless
  • Māori: hahore — barren, lifeless
  • Plautdietsch: eed — barren, lifeless
  • Portuguese: desolado — barren, lifeless
  • Russian: оскуде́вший (oskudévšij) — barren, lifeless
  • Russian: упа́дочный (upádočnyj) — barren, lifeless
  • Slovene: pust — barren, lifeless
  • Spanish: desierto — barren, lifeless
  • Ottoman Turkish: خراب (harab) — barren, lifeless
  • Ottoman Turkish: ویران (viran) — barren, lifeless
  • Armenian: լքված (lkʻvac) — unfit for habitation
  • Armenian: բարձիթողի (barjitʻoġi) — unfit for habitation
  • Central Bikol: makapungaw — unfit for habitation
  • Bulgarian: необитаем (neobitaem) — unfit for habitation
  • Catalan: desolat — unfit for habitation
  • Catalan: abandonat — unfit for habitation
  • Esperanto: dezerta — unfit for habitation
  • German: verlassen — unfit for habitation
  • Greek: ακατοίκητος (akatoíkitos) — unfit for habitation
  • Hindi: उजाड़ (ujāṛ) — unfit for habitation
  • Hungarian: lakhatatlan — unfit for habitation
  • Italian: abbandonato — unfit for habitation
  • Norwegian Bokmål: forlatt — unfit for habitation
  • Plautdietsch: eed — unfit for habitation
  • Portuguese: desolado — unfit for habitation
  • Ottoman Turkish: خراب (harab) — unfit for habitation
  • Ottoman Turkish: ویران (viran) — unfit for habitation
  • Armenian: թշվառ (tʻšvaṙ) — dismal
  • Central Bikol: makapungaw — dismal
  • Catalan: desolat — dismal
  • Danish: trøstesløs — dismal
  • German: öde — dismal
  • Greek: μελαγχολικός (melancholikós) — dismal
  • Greek: ζοφερός (zoferós) — dismal
  • Italian: nero — dismal
  • Japanese: 寂しい (sabishī) — dismal
  • Portuguese: desolado — dismal
  • Russian: ску́дный (skúdnyj) — dismal
  • Armenian: անմխիթար (anmxitʻar) — hopeless
  • Central Bikol: makapungaw — hopeless
  • Bulgarian: безнадежден (beznadežden) — hopeless
  • Bulgarian: безутешен (bezutešen) — hopeless
  • Catalan: desolat — hopeless
  • Catalan: devastat — hopeless
  • Catalan: abatut — hopeless
  • Danish: fortvivlet — hopeless
  • Danish: ulykkelig — hopeless
  • German: trostlos — hopeless
  • Greek: απελπιστικός (apelpistikós) — hopeless
  • Hungarian: reménytelen — hopeless
  • Icelandic: vonlaus — hopeless
  • Icelandic: vansæll — hopeless
  • Japanese: 絶望的な (zetsubōteki na) — hopeless
  • Norwegian Bokmål: utrøstelig — hopeless
  • Portuguese: desolado — hopeless
  • Portuguese: devastado — hopeless
  • Russian: безнадёжный (beznadjóžnyj) — hopeless
  • Bulgarian: обезлюдявам (obezljudjavam) — to deprive of inhabitants
  • Bulgarian: опустошавам (opustošavam) — to deprive of inhabitants
  • Catalan: devastar — to deprive of inhabitants
  • Danish: hærge — to deprive of inhabitants
  • Danish: lægge øde — to deprive of inhabitants
  • Finnish: autioittaa — to deprive of inhabitants
  • French: ravager — to deprive of inhabitants
  • Greek: ερημώνω (erimóno) — to deprive of inhabitants
  • Persian: خالی از سکنه — to deprive of inhabitants
  • Danish: hærge — to devastate or lay waste
  • Danish: lægge øde — to devastate or lay waste
  • Finnish: hävittää — to devastate or lay waste
  • Greek: ερημώνω (erimóno) — to devastate or lay waste
  • Macedonian: опустоши (opustoši) — to devastate or lay waste
  • Finnish: hylätä — to abandon or forsake
  • Greek: εγκαταλείπω (egkataleípo) — to abandon or forsake
  • Danish: gøre ulykkelig — to make sad, forlorn and hopeless
  • Danish: gøre fortvivlet — to make sad, forlorn and hopeless
  • Finnish: masentaa — to make sad, forlorn and hopeless
  • French: désoler — to make sad, forlorn and hopeless
  • Greek: απελπίζω (apelpízo) — to make sad, forlorn and hopeless
Real reading context

desolate in complete knowledge articles

Isaiah 62 Literature & books · Challenging · 3 uses