to desolate
Third Person
desolates
Present Participle
desolating
Past Tense
desolated
Past Participle
desolated
1
to make someone feel extremely miserable and unhappy
transitive
- The loss of her parents desolated her.
- Losing her home in the fire desolated the family.
- The breakup desolated him, leaving him feeling empty.
- The news of his friend's passing desolated him with grief.
- Failure to achieve his lifelong dream desolated him with a sense of hopelessness.
2
to make a place appear bleak, deserted, or abandoned
transitive
- The storm desolated the coastal town, leaving behind only ruins.
- The harsh winter winds desolated the small village, stripping trees of their leaves.
- The war had desolated the region, turning it into a barren wasteland.
- The once-thriving neighborhood was desolated after the factory moved away.
Synonyms:
3
to cause widespread and complete destruction
transitive
- The wildfire desolated the forest, leaving nothing but ash and charred trees.
- The war desolated the countryside, with villages completely wiped out.
- A massive flood desolated the coastal region, submerging homes and farmland.
- A plague of locusts desolated the crops, leaving the farmers with no harvest.
- The industrial explosion desolated the nearby buildings, causing widespread chaos.
Synonyms:
4
to forsake or abandon a place or person
transitive
- He desolated his childhood home, walking away without a second thought.
- She desolated the garden, no longer caring for the plants she once tended.
- The artist desolated his studio, no longer creating art after his inspiration faded.
- After the betrayal, she felt she was desolated by her closest friends.
- The king desolated his kingdom, retreating to a distant land in search of peace.