# deserted

/dɪˈzɝtɪd/ (US) · /dɪzˈɜːtɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/deserted
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. empty of people

adjective · CEFR B2

empty of people and feeling quiet or lonely.

For teachers: describing a place that is uninhabited or abandoned by people.

- The streets were completely deserted after the heavy snow started falling.
- They wandered through the deserted village, where the only sound was the wind whistling through the broken window frames of the old cottages.

Usage: Usually describes streets, buildings, or landscapes.

### 2. abandoned someone

verb · CEFR B2

left someone or something behind when you should have stayed.

For teachers: the past tense of 'desert', meaning to leave a person, post, or obligation without permission.

- He felt like his friends had deserted him when he needed help.
- The soldier was accused of having deserted his post during the height of the battle, a charge that carried severe consequences.

Usage: Often used in a military context or regarding personal relationships.

## Examples

- The streets are deserted late at night.
- After the factory closed down, the once-busy town center became completely deserted.
- The explorers found a deserted village deep in the valley, where the silence was broken only by the wind whistling through the empty doorways.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.