# forlorn

/fɝˈɫɔɹn/ (US) · /fˈɔːlɔːn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/forlorn
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. sad and lonely

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

feeling very sad, lonely, and miserable because you feel abandoned or forgotten.

For teachers: appearing pitifully sad, wretched, or lonely, typically as a result of being forsaken or abandoned.

- 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.

### 2. hopeless

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

unlikely to succeed or having little hope of a good result.

For teachers: 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'.

### 3. military suicide mission

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Technical

a group of soldiers sent on a very dangerous mission that they are not expected to survive.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The old house looked forlorn after the storm.
- The soldier stood forlorn at the edge of the battlefield, watching his comrades leave without him.
- The forlorn expression on the child's face suggested a deep sense of abandonment, though the cause of his distress remained a mystery to the adults around him.

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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.