Inglese

desolate

gb/dˈɛsəlɪt/ us/dˈɛsəlɪt/
B2 Inglese
~ 4600
Accezioni
0 accezioni
adjective B2 property
1

Empty and lifeless

Used to talk about a place with no people, plants, or activity.

Schema d'uso: [a place] is desolate
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes confuse 'desolate' with 'isolated'. 'Isolated' means far from other places, but 'desolate' also means empty and lifeless.
Sinonimi
barren (Focuses more on the inability to support life, especially plant life.) | bleak (Emphasizes harshness and lack of comfort in addition to emptiness.)
Contrari
populated (Describes a place with many people living there.) | fertile (Describes land that can support abundant plant life.)
Collocazioni
desolate landscape |desolate area |desolate street |desolate plain
Temi
geography |nature |travel |core_vocabulary
Esempi
  • The once-busy town was now desolate after the factory closed.
  • A desolate stretch of highway ran through the desert.
  • The island looked desolate, with no signs of human habitation.
Esempi per chi studia
  • The beach was desolate after the storm.
  • This road is long and desolate.
  • The farm is in a desolate area.
adjective literary C1 state
2

Very sad and lonely

Feeling very sad and alone.

Schema d'uso: [someone] feels desolate
Errore comune:
Learners may confuse 'desolate' with 'lonely'. 'Lonely' is common and neutral, while 'desolate' is stronger and more literary.
Sinonimi
forlorn (Implies sadness with a sense of abandonment.) | heartbroken (Stronger focus on emotional pain from loss.)
Contrari
comforted (Feeling supported or reassured.) | content (Feeling satisfied and at peace.)
Collocazioni
feel desolate |look desolate |emotionally desolate
Temi
emotions |psychology |core_vocabulary
Esempi
  • After the breakup, she felt utterly desolate.
  • He looked desolate when he heard the news.
  • The loss left him emotionally desolate for months.
Esempi per chi studia
  • She felt desolate after her friend left.
  • He was desolate when his dog died.
  • I felt desolate when I moved to a new city.
Verbo formal C2 action
3

Make a place empty and lifeless

To make a place empty and without life.

Schema d'uso: to desolate [a place]
Sinonimi
devastate (Often used for destruction caused by disaster or war.) | ravage (Implies severe and often violent damage.)
Contrari
repopulate (To bring people back to live in a place.) | restore (To bring something back to a good condition or to life.)
Collocazioni
war desolated the city |desolated countryside
Temi
geography |history |core_vocabulary
Esempi
  • The hurricane desolated the coastal towns.
  • Years of drought had desolated the farmland.
  • War had desolated much of the region.
Esempi per chi studia
  • The fire desolated the forest.
  • The war desolated the city.
  • The storm desolated the island.
Grammatica
Forma base
desolate
IPA
GB/dˈɛsəlɪt/
US/dˈɛsəlɪt/
Sillabe e accento
des - ol - ate (3 sillabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (des)
Forme flesse
Adjective
  • Base: desolate
Verb
  • Base: desolate
  • 3rd Person Singular: desolates
  • Present Participle: desolating
  • Past: desolated
Famiglia di parole
Forms
desolates verb desolating verb desolated verb
Core family
desolation noun C1
Related words
desolately adverb
Espressioni

desolate wilderness

1
/dˈɛsəlɪt wˈɪldɚnəs/
fixed phrase

Empty, lifeless natural area

An empty place in nature with no people or signs of life.

Esempi
  • They crossed a vast, desolate wilderness.
  • The explorers were lost in a desolate wilderness.

leave someone desolate

1
/lˈiv sˈʌmwˌʌn dˈɛsəlɪt/
fixed phrase

Make someone feel very sad and alone

To make someone feel very sad and alone.

Esempi
  • Her sudden departure left him desolate.
  • The news of the accident left them desolate.

Che bello rivederti!

Accedi per continuare

Non hai un account? Registrati