Meaning & use
desert
A large, extremely dry area of land, often covered with sand, that supports very little plant or animal life.
See it in a sentence
Few plants survive the scorching heat and lack of rain in the Sahara desert.
The explorers crossed miles of desert before finding a small oasis.
A note on using this word
Do not confuse 'desert' (dry land, stressed on the first syllable) with 'dessert' (a sweet course, spelled with two s's).
Words with a similar meaning
wastelandwilderness
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
oasis
Another way to use it
2. verb
To abandon a person, cause, or place, especially in violation of a duty or promise.
The soldier was court-martialed after he chose to desert his unit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “desert”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.