devastated

American

[dev-uh-stey-tid] / ˈdɛv əˌsteɪ tɪd /

adjective

laid waste; made desolate.

After the earthquake there were concerns about asbestos in the rubble of many of the devastated houses.
overwhelmed or shocked, especially by profound loss, disappointment, humiliation, etc..

I’m grateful that no one I knew personally died in the hurricane, but my heart goes out to all those devastated families.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of devastate.

Other Word Forms

undevastated

adjective

Etymology

Origin of devastated

devastate ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Devastated by more than two years of war, the Al-Awda Hospital in the central Gaza district of Nuseirat cares for around 60 in-patients and receives nearly 1,000 people seeking medical treatment each day.

From Barron's • Dec. 26, 2025

Devastated by the news, Sullivan reached out to Sodais, asking if he was OK.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025

Devastated, Rhiannon and her partner were using social media for support, as well as playing online word games together.

From BBC • Oct. 11, 2025

Appeared in the September 24, 2025, print edition as 'Camp Mystic, Devastated by Floods, to Reopen'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 24, 2025

Devastated people were scattered across the fields, our friends, neighbors, and relatives, facing unthinkable grief.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023