Word
forlorn
Phoneticsfor·lorn, stress on the second syllable
US/fɝˈɫɔɹn/
UK/fˈɔːlɔːn/
Definitions
01sad and lonely
C1 · Advanced Literary
adj. feeling very sad, lonely, and miserable because you feel abandoned or forgotten.
adj. appearing pitifully sad, wretched, or lonely, typically as a result of being forsaken or abandoned.
Español:desamparado
“The old dog looked forlorn sitting by the gate, waiting for a master who never returned.”
“The abandoned cottage stood forlorn against the hillside, its broken windows resembling eyes that had long ago lost their spark.”
Antonyms
02hopeless
C1 · Advanced Literary
adj. unlikely to succeed or having little hope of a good result.
adj. describing an effort or situation that is unlikely to succeed; nearly hopeless.
“It was a forlorn attempt to fix the car with just a piece of string.”
“Despite the overwhelming evidence against them, the small team made a forlorn plea for the project to continue.”
Usage
Often appears in the fixed phrase 'forlorn hope'.
03military suicide mission
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Sports Archaic · Technical
n. a group of soldiers sent on a very dangerous mission that they are not expected to survive.
n. a body of troops chosen to take the lead in a hazardous operation, such as a siege, where the risk of death is extremely high.
“The captain led the forlorn hope through the breach in the castle walls.”
“Volunteers for the forlorn hope were promised high rewards, though few lived to collect the gold after the fortress fell.”
Usage
Usually functions as a collective noun phrase 'the forlorn hope'.
Teaching tip
This sense is historical; modern speakers almost exclusively use 'forlorn hope' to mean a desperate or vanishingly small chance of success.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“The sight of a forlorn Coco Gauff hitting serves in the rain on the US Open practice courts became the defining image of her struggles last year.” “They are a forlorn lot, this bunch who shuffle glumly to the front of the stalls.” Etymology
From Middle English forlorn, forloren, from Old English forloren (past participle of forlēosan (“to lose”)), from Proto-Germanic fraluzanaz (“lost”), past participle of Proto-Germanic fraleusaną (“to lose”), equivalent to for- + lorn. Cognate with West Frisian ferlern (“lost”), Saterland Frisian ferlädden (“lost”), Dutch verloren (“lost”), German Low German verloren (“lost”), German verloren (“lost”), Swedish förlorad (“lost”). See further at lese/leese, lorn.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- 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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QR code
englishreference.com/q/forlorn
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0