From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishforlornfor‧lorn /fəˈlɔːn $ fərˈlɔːrn/ adjective 1 ALONEseeming lonely and unhappy a forlorn figure sitting all by herself Ana sat with a bowed head and spoke in a forlorn voice.2 EMPTYa place that is forlorn seems empty and sad, and is often in bad condition The house looked old and forlorn.3 HOPE[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
Examples from the Corpus
forlorn• But they are wrong to be so forlorn.• With the modernisation of the railway system, Brooke End signal box was abandoned, its structure left to stand forlorn.• The banners and ribbons looked forlorn in the rain.• A forlorn line of refugees stood near the truck.• It was a forlorn sight to see that troupe passing through our lines at such a time.• From a place on the shady side I watched the most forlorn spectacle I have ever seen.• 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.forlorn hope• Even they realise, however, that the real world makes that an increasingly forlorn hope.• Dougal was chasing a forlorn hope; and he wasn't even sure that he was going by the best route.• For Coulthard, the prospect of posting a third successive Silverstone win looks a forlorn hope at best after another disappointing race.• Well, it had been a forlorn hope at best.• But these outcasts of the consumer boom have learned to make even a forlorn hope go a long way.Origin forlorn Old English past participle of forleosan “to lose” 