As an adjective, desolate describes a place that is empty, lonely, and often ruined or lifeless. As a verb, to desolate means to make a place empty or to deeply sadden someone.
From Latin "desolatus," past participle of "desolare" meaning "to abandon" or "to leave alone," formed from "de-" and "solus" (alone). It came into English through Middle French and Middle English.
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