devastation
AmericanEtymology
Origin of devastation
1425–75; late Middle English < Late Latin dēvastātiōn- (stem of dēvastātiō ), equivalent to Latin dēvastāt ( us ) ( devastate ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
When there's devastation, there's terrible destruction. You can see the devastation from a violent hurricane and feel devastation over all the people that were injured. When a natural disaster causes widespread death and destruction, that's devastation. This is a strong word that suggests serious damage has occurred, leaving almost nothing left. One knocked over car isn't devastation, but a whole town being wiped out is. People can also feel devastation — it's a kind of extreme sadness or state of feeling emotionally wrecked.
Vocabulary lists containing devastation
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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.
Pope Francis never made a state visit to France and declined to attend the opening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in 2024, five years after its devastation by fire.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
“Do not allow this; do not allow Hezbollah to bring devastation to you.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
Plaza later broke her silence about her struggle to deal with her grief, telling fellow comedian Amy Poehler that her devastation felt like a “giant ocean of awfulness.”
From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026
Witnesses testified about the devastation caused by a nationwide downturn in television and film production that has hit California particularly hard.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Our house looks like something left over from the war: all around it spreads rubble, devastation.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
