Definition of "desolate" []

• Devoid of inhabitants; deserted: "streets which were usually so thronged now grown desolate” ( Daniel Defoe). (adjective)
• Barren; lifeless: the rocky, desolate surface of the moon. (adjective)
• Rendered unfit for habitation or use: the desolate cities of war-torn Europe. (adjective)
• Dreary; dismal. (adjective)
• Bereft of friends or hope; sad and forlorn. See Synonyms at sad. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "'_Yet shall he confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in half a week he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease: and upon a wing of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that which is determined be poured upon the desolate_.'"
• "You'll learn how progress is being made to teach villagers in desolate regions where water is scarce and soil fertility is lacking, to conserve and recycle water; to use compost, worm culture and other techniques to enrich the land; and to grow and market nutritious produce such as amaranth."
• "A real anomie zone, but possessed with a certain desolate beauty."