disconsolate
/dɪsˈkɒnsəlɪt/
disconsolate means cheerless, dreary. It carries an Arena rating of 1681, earned across 7 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, disconsolate ranks #2,429 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #3,436 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #4,029 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #4,388 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words.
disconsolate is pronounced /dɪsˈkɒnsəlɪt/.
Why “disconsolate” is a great word
Seemingly beyond consolation; deeply dejected and cheerless. From Medieval Latin discōnsōlātus ("comfortless"), from Latin dis- ("away, without") + cōnsōlātus ("consoled"). Unlike "melancholy," which suggests a pensive, often gentle sadness, or "dejected," which describes a state of low spirits, disconsolate intensifies grief to a depth where solace appears impossible. It is the widow who will not rise from the chair by the window, the dog who refuses to eat from the hand that once belonged to his master, and the particular silence that follows the final, unanswered cry for help—a fortress of sorrow whose gates are drawn against the very possibility of comfort.
Etymology
From Medieval Latin discōnsōlātus (“comfortless”), from dis- (“away”) + cōnsōlātus (“consoled”).
adj
- Cheerless, dreary.e.g.“I opened my eyes to this disconsolate day.”
- Seemingly beyond consolation; inconsolable.e.g.“For weeks after the death of her cat she was disconsolate.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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