different between forlorn vs downcast

English

Etymology

From Middle English forlorn, forloren, from Old English forloren (past participle of forl?osan (“to lose”)), from Proto-Germanic *fraluzanaz (“lost”), past participle of Proto-Germanic *fraleusan? (“to lose”), equivalent to for- +? lorn. Cognate with West Frisian ferlern (“lost”), Saterland Frisian ferlädden (“lost”), Dutch verloren (“lost”), German Low German verloren (“lost”),German verloren (“lost”), Swedish förlorad (“lost”). See further at lese/leese, lorn.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /f??l??n/, /f??-/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /f???l??n/
• Rhymes: -??(?)n
• Hyphenation: for?lorn

Adjective

forlorn (comparative forlorner or more forlorn, superlative forlornest or most forlorn)

1. Abandoned, deserted, left behind.
2. Miserable, as when lonely after being abandoned.

   Synonym: forsaken
3. Unlikely to succeed; hopeless.

Alternative forms

• forlorne (obsolete)

Derived terms

• forlornling
• forlornness
• forlornly

Related terms

• forlorn hope
• lovelorn

Translations

Noun

forlorn (plural forlorns) (military)

1. A forlorn hope.
2. A member of a forlorn hope.

Verb

forlorn

1. (obsolete) past participle of forlese.

English

Etymology

From Middle English *doun-casten, *adoun-casten (inferred from Middle English adoun-casting (“downcasting”), adoun-cast (“overthrow, destruction”)), modelled similarly to other constructions in Middle English (namely, Middle English adoun-throwen (“to throw down”), adoun-werpen (“to throw down”)), equivalent to down- +? cast.

Pronunciation

• (adjective, noun)
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /?da?nkæst/
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?da?nk??st/
• (verb)
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /da?n?kæst/
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /da?n?k??st/

Adjective

downcast (comparative more downcast, superlative most downcast)

1. (of eyes) Looking downwards.
   • 1717, John Dryden, Canace to Macareus

     'Tis love, said she; and then my downcast eyes, / And guilty dumbness, witness'd my surprise.

2. (of a person) Feeling despondent.

Translations

Noun

downcast (plural downcasts)

1. (computing) A cast from supertype to subtype.
2. (obsolete) A melancholy look.
   • 1619, Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, The Maid's Tragedy

     That downcast of thine eye.

3. (mining) A ventilating shaft down which the air passes in circulating through a mine.

Verb

downcast (third-person singular simple present downcasts, present participle downcasting, simple past and past participle downcast or downcasted)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To cast or throw down; to turn downward.
2. (transitive, Scotland) To taunt; to reproach; to upbraid.
3. (transitive, computing) To cast from supertype to subtype.

   Antonym: upcast

Anagrams

• cast down