What is the word origin of desolate? The word desolate hasn’t strayed far from its Latin roots: its earliest meaning of “deserted” mirrors that of its Latin source dēsōlātus, which comes from the verb dēsōlāre, …

DESOLATE definition: barren or laid waste; devastated. See examples of desolate used in a sentence.

desolate adjective (EMPTY) Add to word list (of a place) having no living things; empty: a desolate landscape

Definition of desolate adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

desolate adj 1. uninhabited; deserted 2. made uninhabitable; laid waste; devastated

When a location is desolate, there's almost nothing there. Think of a rundown cabin in the middle of nowhere, with no running water and no stores or other people anywhere.

desolate, adj. & n. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary

The desolate person is deprived of human consolation, relationships, or presence: desolate and despairing. The disconsolate person is aware of the efforts of others to console and comfort, but is …

DESOLATE meaning: 1 : lacking the people, plants, animals, etc., that make people feel welcome in a place; 2 : very sad and lonely especially because someone you love has died or left

Dec 14, 2025 · 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”), …