forlorn

[ fawr-lawrn ]
/ fɔrˈlɔrn /

adjective

desolate or dreary; unhappy or miserable, as in feeling, condition, or appearance.
lonely and sad; forsaken.
expressive of hopelessness; despairing: forlorn glances.
bereft; destitute: forlorn of comfort.

Origin of forlorn

before 1150; Middle English foreloren (past participle of forlesen to lose completely), Old English forloren (past participle of forlēosan); cognate with Old High German firliosan (German verlieren), Gothic fraliusan. See for-, lorn

synonym study for forlorn

2. See desolate.

OTHER WORDS FROM forlorn

for·lorn·ly, adverb for·lorn·ness, noun un·for·lorn, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for forlornness

British Dictionary definitions for forlornness

forlorn
/ (fəˈlɔːn) /

adjective

miserable, wretched, or cheerless; desolate
deserted; forsaken
(postpositive foll by of) destitute; bereft forlorn of hope
desperate the last forlorn attempt

Derived forms of forlorn

forlornly, adverb forlornness, noun

Word Origin for forlorn

Old English forloren lost, from forlēosan to lose; related to Old Saxon farliosan, Gothic fraliusan, Greek luein to release