Chinese word

荒凉

Pronunciation

Pinyinhuāng liáng

Meaning

  • adjectivedesolate

Example

公园已经荒凉，很少有人来。gōng yuán yǐ jīng huāng liáng hén shǎo yǒu rén lái

The park is already desolate, and hardly anyone comes there.

Illustration for 荒凉 (desolate)

More examples

远离城市的小路两旁显得荒凉，行人稀少。yuǎn lí chéng shì de xiǎo lù liǎng páng xiǎn de huāng liáng xíng rén xī shǎo

The sides of a path far from the city look desolate, and few people pass by.

Core concept

A once-lively setting that now feels empty, neglected, and cut off from ordinary human activity.

Common phrases

  • 荒凉的村落huāng liáng de cūn luò

    desolate village

  • 荒凉的街道huāng liáng de jiē dào

    desolate street

  • 荒凉的景致huāng liáng de jǐng zhì

    desolate scenery

Similar words

凄凉qī liáng: Describes a bleak scene that creates a cold, lonely, and sorrowful feeling.
荒芜huāng wú: Describes land left uncultivated and untended, with grass and wild plants growing thickly.
荒废huāng fèi: Describes a former building or facility left unused, neglected, and falling into ruin.
萧条xiāo tiáo: Describes a town or market with few shops, little traffic, and no lively activity.

Definition in Chinese

表示某处荒芜、冷落、缺少活动与生气的状态。biǎo shì mǒu chù huāng wú lěng luò quē shǎo huó dòng yǔ shēng qì de zhuàng tài

Word origin

荒 (huāng, "barren") + 凉 (liáng, "cool") brings together a neglected landscape and the chill of missing human presence, which gives the word its bleak sense.

Usage tips

  • For everyday descriptions, 荒凉 (huāngliáng, "desolate") suits a whole setting; a person who feels lonely is normally described with a feeling word instead.

Other meanings

  • drearyadjective
  • desertedadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word