desolate
/ˈdɛs.ə.lət/adjective, verb
desolate is spelled D-E-S-O-L-A-T-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 23,253rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, desolate means “Deserted and devoid of inhabitants” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in desolate?
| Letters | 8: D-E-S-O-L-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.5 times per million words; the 23,253rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is desolate?
Desolate appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 23,253rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce desolate?
- /ˈdɛs.ə.lət/
As a verb (“To deprive of inhabitants”): /ˈdɛsəleɪt/.
Desolate has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-desolate.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of desolate
- more desolate comparative
- most desolate superlative
- desolates present, singular, he/she/it
- desolating participle, present
- desolated participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does desolate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Deserted and devoid of inhabitants.
a desolate isle; a desolate wilderness; a desolate house
- 2
Barren and lifeless.
- 3
Made unfit for habitation or use because of neglect, destruction etc.
desolate altars
- 4
Dismal or dreary.
- 5
Sad, forlorn and hopeless.
He was left desolate by the early death of his wife.
verb
- 1
To deprive of inhabitants.
- 2
To devastate or lay waste somewhere.
- 3
To abandon or forsake something.
- 4
To make someone sad, forlorn and hopeless.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Desolate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | désert , ravager , désoler |
| German | verlassen , öde , trostlos |
| Portuguese | desolado, deserto, inabitado, ermo, desabitado |
| Spanish | desierto |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does desolate come from?
From Middle English desolat(e). See Etymology 2 and -ate (adjective-forming suffix) for more.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).