Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DES'O-LATE, a. [L. desolatus. See the Verb.]

1. Destitute or deprived of inhabitants; desert; uninhabited; denoting either stripped of inhabitants, or never having been inhabited; as, a desolate isle; a desolate wilderness. I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant. – Jer. ix.
2. Laid waste; in a ruinous condition; neglected; destroyed; as, desolate altars; desolate towers. – Ezek. Zeph.
3. Solitary; without a companion; afflicted. Tamar remained desolate in Absalom's house. – 2 Sam. xiii. Have mercy on me, for I am desolate. – Ps. xxv.
4. Deserted by God; deprived of comfort. My heart within me is desolate. – Ps. cxliii.