desolation vs impairment

desolation and impairment both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
desolation	Yes	No	No	No
impairment	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, impairment is a hypernym of desolation; that is, impairment is a word with a broader meaning than desolation:

Other hypernyms of desolation include deterioration.

desolation (noun)	impairment (noun)
an event that results in total destruction	damage that results in a reduction of strength or quality
sadness resulting from being forsaken or abandoned	the act of making something futile and useless (as by routine)
the state of being decayed or destroyed	the occurrence of a change for the worse
a bleak and desolate atmosphere	the condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness
	a symptom of reduced quality or strength