desert means usually of a place: abandoned, deserted, or uninhabited. It carries an Arena rating of 1617, earned across 10 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, desert ranks #289 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #1,475 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #1,509 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #1,990 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words.
desert is pronounced /ˈdɛz.ət/.
Why “desert” is a great word
An abandoned or uninhabited place; a barren, arid region with scant vegetation; to forsake, especially in violation of duty or obligation. From Middle English desert ("wilderness"), from Old French desert, from Latin dēsertum ("abandoned thing, wasteland"), the neuter past participle of dēserō ("to abandon, forsake"). Unlike "abandon" (a general departure, without inherent moral weight) or "wasteland" (a barren area scarred by neglect or disaster), desert carries the chill of betrayal—the soldier vanishing at dawn, the spouse walking out mid-illness, the promise left to sand and wind. It is the cracked earth of a dry lakebed shimmering under a white sun, the hollow of an empty cot in a military barracks, and the spectral silence of a derelict ballroom—the body heat still faint in the sheets, but the air already cooling into something vast, dry, and irrevocably alone.
Etymology
From Middle English desert (“wilderness”), from Old French desert, from Latin dēsertum, past participle of dēserō (“to abandon”). Generally displaced native Old English wēsten. False cognate of Egyptian dšrt.
adj
- Usually of a place: abandoned, deserted, or uninhabited.e.g.“They were marooned on a desert island in the Pacific.”
noun
- A barren area of land or desolate terrain, especially one with little water or vegetation; a wasteland.
- A barren area of land or desolate terrain, especially one with little water or vegetation; a wasteland.; In particular, a barren, arid area of land which is hot, with sandy, rocky, or parched ground.
- Any barren place or situation.e.g.“He declared that the country was an intellectual desert; that he was famishing for spiritual aliment, and for discourse on matters beyond mere nuggets, prospectings, and the price of gold.” — 1858, William Howitt, Land, Labour, and Gold; Or, Two Years in Victoria, page 54:
- That which is deserved or merited; a just punishment or reward.e.g.“just deserts”
verb
- To leave (anything that depends on one's presence to survive, exist, or succeed), especially when contrary to a promise or obligation; to abandon; to forsake.e.g.“You can't just drive off and desert me here, in the middle of nowhere.”
- To leave one's duty or post, especially to leave a military or naval unit without permission.e.g.“Anyone found deserting will be punished.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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