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.
Desolate literally carries the idea of making something "all alone." That’s why it works both for landscapes with no life and for people who feel emotionally emptied out.
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