The words Desert and Dessert are exactly similar in tone, but have one crucial difference – the letter ‘s' appears twice in dessert. Due to the similarity, the two words are confused in everyday English.
1. Desert is both a noun and a verb.
(a) As a noun desert refers to a barren region or wasteland. Other meanings: wilderness; arid region; desolate tract of land.
(b) As a verb desert means: abscond; leave; go missing; do a bunk; abandon; forsake; discard; leave high and dry.
Antonyms: stay; support.
2. Dessert is a noun. It refers to a pudding or sweet and is usually the last portion of a meal.
Sample Usage
Examples of Desert as a Noun
1. The kids found it great fun to ride the camels across the desert sands.
2. The pilot ejected from the plane and landed in the middle of a vast desert.
3. A sudden sand storm enveloped the campers who had set up their tents outside the town in the desert region.
Examples of Desert as a Verb
1. The ship's captain always ensures that the passengers and crews are safe during any disaster at sea, and will be the last to desert the vessel.
2. Pushpa turned out to be Smita's best friend, as she did not desert Smita during her trial.
3. Sunil realised he had been deserted by the others when he woke up late in the morning.
Examples of Dessert
1. The dessert was the best part of the entire meal.
2. The new pastry chef was very good, creating wonderfully innovative desserts that had the diners placing second orders.
3. The pudding which was served as a dessert was a soggy mess.
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