Forlorn — Defs

01 a. Deserted; abandoned; lost.

1.
Deserted; abandoned; lost.
“Of fortune and of hope at once forlorn.” — Spenser.

“Some say that ravens foster forlorn children.” — Shak.
2.
Destitute; helpless; in pitiful plight; wretched; miserable; almost hopeless; desperate.
“For here forlorn and lost I tread.” — Goldsmith.

“The condition of the besieged in the mean time was forlorn in the extreme.” — Prescott.

“She cherished the forlorn hope that he was still living.” — Thomson.

Phrases & compounds

A forlorn hope — a body of men (called in F. enfants perdus, in G. verlornen posten) selected, usually from volunteers, to attempt a breach, scale the wall of a fortress, or perform other extraordinarily perilous service; also, a desperate case or enterprise.

Syn. Destitute, lost; abandoned; forsaken; solitary; helpless; friendless; hopeless; abject; wretched; miserable; pitiable.

02 n. A lost, forsaken, or solitary person.

1.
A lost, forsaken, or solitary person.
“Forced to live in Scotland a forlorn.” — Shak.
2.
A forlorn hope; a vanguard.[Obs.]
“Our forlorn of horse marched within a mile of the enemy.” — Oliver Cromvell.