adj
Uncommon
deserted
dih-ZUR-tihd
Deserted (adj) means Empty of people; abandoned. Example: “The streets were completely deserted at 3am.”
adj
1
Empty of people; abandoned.
"Ahead the flanks of the Pennines gleamed faintly in the moonlight, looking as though they themselves were part of some dry and deserted lunar landscape."
— G. Freeman Allen, Condor (1960)
"On arrival at Birmingham New Street, I make my way upstairs to the mezzanine to get shots of an almost deserted concourse, polka-dotted with social distancing circles like some strange board-game."
— Paul Bigland, My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet (2020)
"The streets were completely deserted at 3am."
"They found an old, deserted farmhouse on the hill."
"After the match, the car park was deserted and the lights were off."
How to use deserted
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishLeft empty — no people around.
Common pairings
a deserted street
a deserted island
deserted village
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more deserted
- Superlative
- most deserted
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The streets were completely _____ at 3am.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for deserted
averted
alerted
inserted
asserted
diverted
inverted
reverted
perverted
converted
concerted
introverted
See all rhymes for deserted →
Frequently asked questions
What does “deserted” mean?
The word “deserted” means empty of people; abandoned. In plain terms, left empty — no people around.
How do you pronounce “deserted”?
“Deserted” is pronounced dih-ZUR-tihd (/dəˈzɜɹtəd/ in IPA).
How do you use “deserted” in a sentence?
Here is “deserted” used in a sentence: “The streets were completely deserted at 3am.”
What part of speech is “deserted”?
“Deserted” is an adjective.
Is “deserted” a common word?
“Deserted” is an uncommon word in modern English.
What is the difference between "deserted" and "abandoned"?
"Deserted" simply describes a place as empty of people at a given moment, such as a street at night, without implying anything about its long-term future. "Abandoned" more strongly suggests that something has been permanently given up or left behind, like an abandoned building left to decay. A place can be temporarily deserted (a beach in winter) without being abandoned.
Can "deserted" describe a person as well as a place?
Yes, "deserted" can describe a person who has been left behind by someone who was expected to stay, such as a deserted spouse or a deserted child. In this use it comes from the verb "desert," meaning to leave someone without support, rather than from describing an empty location.
What kinds of nouns commonly follow "deserted" in everyday writing?
"Deserted" typically pairs with places and settings, such as a deserted street, town, island, house, or road. These collocations all describe locations that are noticeably empty of the people usually expected to be there.
