Word of the Day : May 26, 2021

desolate \DESS-uh-lut\ adjective

Definition

1 : devoid of inhabitants and visitors : deserted

2 : joyless, disconsolate, and sorrowful through or as if through separation from a loved one

3 a : showing the effects of abandonment and neglect : dilapidated

b : barren, lifeless

c : devoid of warmth, comfort, or hope : gloomy

Did You Know?

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, meaning "to leave all alone, forsake, empty of inhabitants." That word's root is sōlus, meaning "lone, acting without a partner, lonely, deserted," source too of sole, soliloquy, solitary, solitude, and solo. Desolate also functions as a verb with its most common meanings being "to lay waste" and "to make wretched; to make someone deeply dejected or distressed."

Aired May 26, 2021

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