desert
gb/dˈɛzɚt/ us/dˈɛzɚt/
A2
English
~ 4500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Dry, barren area of land
A big, dry place with almost no rain and very few plants.
Usage pattern:
the [adjective] desert
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'desert' with 'dessert' (sweet food after a meal).
Synonyms
wasteland (Emphasizes complete emptiness and lack of life.)
Antonyms
forest (A forest is full of trees and receives much more rainfall.)
Collocations
hot desert
|Sahara Desert
|desert climate
|desert landscape
|desert region
Themes
geography
|nature
|travel
Examples
- The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world.
- Many animals in the desert are active only at night.
- They crossed the desert on camels.
- This plant can survive in the harsh desert environment.
Learner examples
- The desert is very hot in the day.
- Camels live in the desert.
- We saw sand in the desert.
- It does not rain much in the desert.
Verb
B1
action
2
Leave someone or something behind
To go away from someone or something and not come back, often when you are needed.
Usage pattern:
to desert [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with 'deserve' due to similar pronunciation.
Synonyms
abandon (Very close in meaning; 'abandon' is more common in general contexts.)
Antonyms
support (To stay with and help someone instead of leaving them.)
Collocations
desert a friend
|desert a post
|desert one's family
|desert the army
Themes
relationships
|military
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He would never desert his friends in trouble.
- The soldiers deserted their posts during the night.
- She felt deserted by her colleagues after the failure.
Learner examples
- He deserted his friend in need.
- The man deserted his family.
- The soldiers deserted the camp.
Noun
B2
entity
3
What someone deserves
A result that is fair for someone’s actions, usually bad as punishment.
Common mistake:
Often misspelled as 'desserts'. This sense is mostly used in the fixed phrase 'just deserts'.
Synonyms
comeuppance (Informal term meaning deserved punishment.)
Antonyms
undeserved reward (Something received without merit.)
Collocations
just deserts
Themes
justice
|law
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He got his just deserts for lying to everyone.
- Villains eventually meet their deserts.
Learner examples
- He got his just deserts.
- Bad people get their deserts.
Grammar
Dictionary form
desert
IPA
GB/dˈɛzɚt/
US/dˈɛzɚt/
Syllables & stress
desert (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (desert)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: desert
- Plural: deserts
Verb
- Base: desert
- 3rd Person Singular: deserts
- Present Participle: deserting
- Past: deserted
Word family
Forms
deserts
noun
deserting
verb
deserted
verb
Advanced or less common
desertify
verb
desertification
noun C1
Expressions
just deserts
1/d͡ʒˈʌst dˈɛzɚts/
fixed phrase
Deserved outcome for actions
The fair and right result for what someone has done, usually bad as punishment.
Examples
- After years of cheating, he finally got his just deserts.
- The corrupt official faced his just deserts in court.
desert island
1/dˈɛzɚt ˈaɪlənd/
fixed phrase
Uninhabited remote island
A small island with no people living there, often far from other land.
Examples
- He dreamed of escaping to a desert island.
- They were stranded on a desert island for weeks.
- Being stranded on a desert island is a common story in books.
- He dreamed of living alone on a desert island.