disconsolate

English

WOTD – 17 July 2012    

Etymology

From Medieval Latin discōnsōlātus (“comfortless”), from Latin dis- (“away”) + cōnsōlātus (“consoled”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA: /dɪsˈkɑnsəlɪt/
• (RP) IPA: /dɪsˈkɒnsəlɪt/

Adjective

disconsolate (comparative more disconsolate, superlative most disconsolate)

1. cheerless, dreary

   I opened my eyes to this disconsolate day.

   • 1897, W.S.Maugham, Liza of Lambeth, chapter 1

     Worst off of all were the very young children, for there had been no rain for weeks, and the street was as dry and clean as a covered court, and, in the lack of mud to wallow in, they sat about the road, disconsolate as poets.

2. seemingly beyond consolation; inconsolable

   For weeks after the death of her cat she was disconsolate.

Synonyms

• (cheerless, dreary): bleak, dreary, downcast
• (beyond consolation): dejected, inconsolable, unconsolable

Antonyms

• consolable

Translations

cheerless, dreary

• Bulgarian: тъжен (bg) (tǎžen), печален (bg) (pečalen)
• German: trostlos
• Greek: απελπισμένος (el) (apelpisménos) m 

• Russian: печальный (ru) (pečálʹnyj) 
• Spanish: desconsolado (es) m

inconsolable

• Bulgarian: неутешим (bg) (neutešim)
• French: inconsolable (fr)
• German: untröstlich (de)

• Greek: απαρηγόρητος (el) (aparigóritos) m 
• Russian: безутешный (ru) (bezutéšnyj) 
• Spanish: desconsolado (es) m

Derived terms

• disconsolately
• disconsolation
• disconsolateness

Noun

disconsolate

1. (obsolete) Disconsolateness.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Barrow to this entry?)

Anagrams

• consolidates