a forlorn figure sitting all by herselfforlornfor‧lorn /fəˈlɔːn $ fərˈlɔːrn/ adjective 
a forlorn figure sitting all by herself Ana sat with a bowed head and spoke in a forlorn voice.2a place that is forlorn seems empty and sad, and is often in bad condition: The house looked old and forlorn.3[only before noun] a forlorn hope, attempt, or struggle etc is not going to be successful: the forlorn hope of finding a peace formula—forlornly adverb
WORD ORIGINforlorn
Origin:
Old English past participle of forleosan ‘to lose’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- A forlorn line of refugees stood near the truck.
- The banners and ribbons looked forlorn in the rain.
- But they are wrong to be so forlorn.
- From a place on the shady side I watched the most forlorn spectacle I have ever seen.
- It was a forlorn sight to see that troupe passing through our lines at such a time.
- Locals pile garbage beside the forlorn visitors center.
- The reporters have dispersed, and the two of them actually look somewhat forlorn when I come by.
- With the modernisation of the railway system, Brooke End signal box was abandoned, its structure left to stand forlorn.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY a forlorn figure sitting all by herself the forlorn hope of finding a peace formulaCOLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1seeming lonely and unhappy: a forlorn figure sitting all by herself the forlorn hope of finding a peace formula (=hope for something that is impossible)· He traveled south in the vain hope of finding work.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· For Coulthard, the prospect of posting a third successive Silverstone win looks a forlorn hope at best after another disappointing race.· But these outcasts of the consumer boom have learned to make even a forlorn hope go a long way.· Well, it had been a forlorn hope at best.· Even they realise, however, that the real world makes that an increasingly forlorn hope.
a forlorn figure sitting all by herself Ana sat with a bowed head and spoke in a forlorn voice.2a place that is forlorn seems empty and sad, and is often in bad condition: The house looked old and forlorn.3[only before noun] a forlorn hope, attempt, or struggle etc is not going to be successful: the forlorn hope of finding a peace formula—forlornly adverb