(~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ is a large area of land, usually in a hot region, where there is almost no water, rain, trees, or plants.
...the Sahara Desert.
...the burning ~ sun...
N-VAR: oft in names after n
2.
If people or animals ~ a place, they leave it and it becomes empty.
Farmers are ~ing their fields and coming here looking for jobs...
VERB: V n
~ed
She led them into a ~ed sidestreet.
= empty
ADJ
3.
If someone ~s you, they go away and leave you, and no longer help or support you.
Mrs Roding’s husband ~ed her years ago...
= abandon
VERB: V n
~ion (~ions)
...her father’s ~ion.
N-VAR
4.
If you ~ something that you support, use, or are involved with, you stop supporting it, using it, or being involved with it.
The paper’s price rise will encourage readers to ~ in even greater numbers...
He was pained to see many youngsters ~ing kibbutz life...
Spaniards are worried about German investors ~ing Spain for Eastern Europe.
VERB: V, V n, V n for n
~ion
...a mass ~ion of the Party by the electorate.
N-VAR
5.
If a quality or skill that you normally have ~s you, you suddenly find that you do not have it when you need it or want it.
Even when he appeared to be depressed, a dry sense of humour never ~ed him...
She lost the next five games, and the set, as her confidence abruptly ~ed her.
= leave
VERB: V n, V n
6.
If someone ~s, or ~s a job, especially a job in the armed forces, they leave that job without permission.
He was a second-lieutenant in the army until he ~ed...
He ~ed from army intelligence last month...
VERB: V, V from n
~ion
The high rate of ~ion has added to the army’s woes...
N-VAR
7.
If you say that someone has got their just ~s, you mean that they deserved the unpleasant things that have happened to them, because they did something bad.
At the end of the book the child’s true identity is discovered, and the bad guys get their just ~s.
PHRASE feelings