desolation
/ˌdɛsəˈleɪʃən/ noun
Forms desolations
- noun The act of desolating or laying waste; destruction of inhabitants; depopulation.
- noun The state of being desolated or laid waste
- noun A place or country wasted and forsaken.
Synonyms
ruin solitariness destitution gloom gloominess devastation bleakness bareness nakedness forlornness loneliness
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English desolacioun, from Middle French, Old French desolacion f, from Latin dēsōlātiō f.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The act of desolating or laying waste; destruction of inhabitants; depopulation.
- noun The state of being desolated or laid waste; ruin; solitariness; destitution; gloominess.
Etymology [F. désolation, L. desolatio.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “desolation”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details