desolat
desolate, wretched, in a sorry state
adjective de-zo-LAHT Rare
Origin: from Latin desolatus (abandoned)
Also means
dire, dismal
Usage Note
desolat describes a state of thorough disorder or hopelessness — desolate Zustände, eine desolate Finanzlage. It can describe a bleak physical environment or an organisation in severe disarray. More formal and emphatic than schlecht.
Examples
"Der Zustand des alten Gebäudes war schlicht desolat."
Natural Translation
The state of the old building was simply desolate.
Literal Translation
The condition of the old building was simply desolate.
Free starter pack
Building your German vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore German by topic
