verb
désoler
sorry · sadden
Definition & meaning
The word désoler is a French verb that generally expresses the act of causing someone to feel deep sadness, distress, or grief.
- To cause grief or sadness: To make someone feel very unhappy or heartbroken. It is often used in the past participle form (désolé) to mean "sorry" or "apologetic."
- To devastate or lay waste: In a more formal or literary context, it refers to ruining or causing massive destruction to a place or a country (similar to "ravage").
- To bother or annoy: In colloquial speech, it can sometimes mean to exasperate or annoy someone greatly.
Grammar & Word origin
- Part of speech: Transitive verb.
- Word origin: It stems from the Old French desoler, derived from the Latin desolare, which means "to abandon" or "to leave alone" (from de- + solus, meaning "alone"). The root reflects the idea that isolation leads to sorrow or the desolation of a landscape.
- Usage note: The most common usage in modern French is the reflexive form se désoler, meaning to grieve or to fret over something.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
Antonyms
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Examples
Je suis désolé pour cela.verb
I am sorry for that.
Pourquoi ces nouvelles te désolent-elles autant?verb
Why do these news sadden you so much?
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