Desolation — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˌde-sə-ˈlā-shən/ des·o·la·tion

Meaning & Definition of Desolation

Desolation (noun)

  1. the action of desolating
  2. grief, sadness
  3. loneliness

Desolation (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a state or spell of low spirits

    "his desolation after his twin brother died was incurable"

    similar: blue devils, blues, dejection, depression, despond, despondence, despondency, disconsolateness, dispiritedness, doldrums, dolefulness, downheartedness, dreariness, dumps, forlornness, gloom, gloominess, glumness, heartsickness, joylessness, melancholy, miserableness, mopes, mournfulness, oppression, sadness, sorrowfulness, unhappiness
    related: melancholia, self-pity, anguish, dolor, grief, mourning, somberness, sorrow, woefulness, agony, distress, pain, misery, woe, wretchedness, discouragement, disheartenment, moodiness, despair, desperation, hopelessness, self-despair, boredom, ennui, tedium, dismalness, drear, morbidness, moroseness, morosity, regret, rue
    opposite: bliss, blissfulness, ecstasy, elatedness, elation, euphoria, exhilaration, exuberance, exultation, felicity, gladness, gladsomeness, happiness, heaven, intoxication, joy, joyfulness, joyousness, jubilation, rapture, rapturousness
    near: gaiety, gayness, glee, gleefulness, humor, jollity, joviality, lightheartedness, merriment, mirth, mirthfulness, cheer, cheerfulness, cheeriness, hopefulness, optimism, sunniness, content, contentedness, contentment, satisfaction, delight, gratification

  2. land that is uninhabited or not fit for crops

    "looked out over the vast untamed desolation to the north"

    similar: barren, desert, heath, no-man's-land, waste, wasteland
    related: badland, brush, bush, dust bowl, open, open air, outdoors, out-of-doors, nature, wild, wilderness

  3. the state of being unattended to or not cared for

    "the desolation of the abandoned garden"

    similar: dilapidation, disrepair, neglect, seediness
    related: inattention, negligence, abandonment, desertion, decay, decrepitude, dereliction, deterioration, disintegration, dumpiness, ruin, ruination
    opposite: keeping, repair
    near: conservation, preservation, upkeep

  4. the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless

    "the nuclear attack resulted in a scene of utter desolation"

    similar: annihilation, decimation, demolishment, demolition, destruction, devastation, extermination, extinction, havoc, loss, mincemeat, obliteration, ruin, ruination, wastage, wreckage
    related: depredation, despoilment, despoliation, breakup, collapse, disintegration, dissolution, assassination, execution, killing, massacre, slaughter, dismantlement, effacement, eradication
    opposite: building, construction, erection, raising
    near: rescue, salvage, salvation, saving, conservation, preservation, protection, reclamation, reconstruction, re-creation, refurbishment, regeneracy, remodeling, renovation, restoration

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Desolation

The most common words with a similar meaning to Desolation:

blue devils, blues, dejection, depression, despond, despondence, despondency, disconsolateness, dispiritedness, doldrums, dolefulness, downheartedness, dreariness, dumps, forlornness, gloom, gloominess, glumness, heartsickness, joylessness, melancholy, miserableness, mopes, mournfulness, oppression, sadness, sorrowfulness, unhappiness, barren, desert, heath, no-man's-land, waste, wasteland, dilapidation, disrepair, neglect, seediness, annihilation, decimation

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Desolation

Words with the opposite meaning of Desolation:

bliss, blissfulness, ecstasy, elatedness, elation, euphoria, exhilaration, exuberance, exultation, felicity, gladness, gladsomeness, happiness, heaven, intoxication, joy, joyfulness, joyousness, jubilation, rapture, rapturousness, keeping, repair, building, construction, erection, raising

Related Words for Desolation

melancholia, self-pity, anguish, dolor, grief, mourning, somberness, sorrow, woefulness, agony, distress, pain, misery, woe, wretchedness, discouragement, disheartenment, moodiness, despair, desperation, hopelessness, self-despair, boredom, ennui, tedium, dismalness, drear, morbidness, moroseness, morosity

Near Antonyms of Desolation

gaiety, gayness, glee, gleefulness, humor, jollity, joviality, lightheartedness, merriment, mirth, mirthfulness, cheer, cheerfulness, cheeriness, hopefulness, optimism, sunniness, content, contentedness, contentment, satisfaction, delight, gratification, conservation, preservation, upkeep, rescue, salvage, salvation, saving

Origin & Etymology of Desolation

Middle English desolacion, desolacioun "state of distress or hardship, feeling of distress, affliction," borrowed from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French desolacion, borrowed from Late Latin dēsōlātiōn-, dēsōlātiō "abandonment, solitude," from Latin dēsōlāre "to leave all alone, forsake, empty of inhabitants" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action desolate:1

First known use: 14th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Desolation

What does "Desolation" mean?

"Desolation" means the action of desolating. As a noun, it is defined as: the action of desolating. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Desolation"?

Other words for "Desolation" include blue devils, blues, dejection, depression, despond, despondence, despondency and disconsolateness. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Desolation" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Desolation"?

There are 121 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Desolation". Common alternatives include blue devils, blues, dejection, depression, despond, despondence, despondency, disconsolateness, dispiritedness and doldrums.

What is the opposite of "Desolation"?

Antonyms of "Desolation" include bliss, blissfulness, ecstasy, elatedness, elation, euphoria, exhilaration and exuberance. Near antonyms include gaiety, gayness, glee and gleefulness.

How do you use "Desolation" in a sentence?

Examples of "Desolation" in a sentence: "his desolation after his twin brother died was incurable"; "looked out over the vast untamed desolation to the north"; "the desolation of the abandoned garden".

Is "Desolation" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Desolation" is a noun.

How do you pronounce "Desolation"?

"Desolation" is pronounced /ˌde-sə-ˈlā-shən/ and divided into syllables as des·o·la·tion.

What is the origin of the word "Desolation"?

"Desolation" comes from Middle English desolacion, desolacioun "state of distress or hardship, feeling of distress, affliction," borrowed from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French desolacion, borrowed from Late Latin dēsōlātiōn-, dēsōlātiō "abandonment, solitude," from Latin dēsōlāre "to leave all alone, forsake, empty of inhabitants" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action desolate:1. First known use: 14th century.