Word
desolation
Phoneticsdes·o·la·tion, stress on the third syllable
US/ˌdɛsəˈɫeɪʃən/
UK/dˌɛsəlˈeɪʃən/
Definitions
01feeling of sadness
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Literary
n. a feeling of being completely alone and very unhappy.
n. a state of complete loneliness, grief, or misery.
“A sense of desolation came over him when he realized he was all alone.”
“The widow was overwhelmed by a profound sense of desolation in the weeks following the funeral, finding the silence of the house unbearable.”
Usage
Often follows the construction 'a sense of' or 'a feeling of'.
Synonyms
02empty or ruined place
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Literary
n. a place that is empty, ruined, and has no people living in it.
n. the state of being decayed or destroyed; a wasteland or deserted area.
“The war left the once-beautiful city in a state of total desolation.”
“The explorers were struck by the utter desolation of the salt flats, where no plant or animal life could be seen for miles.”
Usage
Can be used as both a countable and uncountable noun.
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“The men whom Cartland stepped out with were not the heart-throb dukes and dashing airmen that she would later write about, but broken people without the language to express their desolation.” “It's the perfect English summer's day, recognizable to any reader—at odds with the father's desolation at the loss of his little child.” Etymology
Inherited from Middle English desolacioun, from Middle French, Old French desolacion f, from Latin dēsōlātiō f.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/desolation