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desolazione

desolation, devastation

noun deh-zoh-lah-TSYOH-neh Rare

Usage Note

Desolazione describes both physical devastation (a ruined landscape) and emotional desolation (profound grief or hopelessness). The plural desolazioni is regular but rarely used. It is a near-cognate of English 'desolation' but carries a heavier emotional register in Italian.

Examples

"Lo spettacolo di quella terra abbandonata era pura desolazione."

Natural Translation

The sight of that abandoned land was pure desolation.

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