devastated

American  

[dev-uh-stey-tid] / ˈdɛv əˌsteɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. laid waste; made desolate.

   After the earthquake there were concerns about asbestos in the rubble of many of the devastated houses.

2. 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.

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verb

1. 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

One father, David from London, whose wife was retraining to be an occupational therapist, told the BBC last year that he was devastated after realising they didn't qualify because she wasn't earning at the time.

From BBC

A mother whose home was devastated when a toy car battery started a fire on Christmas Day has said she is "not sure what I've got left".

From BBC

It is possible, in devastated Gaza, that the current ceasefire will become a permanent peace, allowing rebuilding, and the restoration of family life and schooling.

From BBC

But on Monday, Ador announced that it had terminated their contract with one of its members, Danielle Marsh - bringing to an end any hope of a full-group comeback and leaving fans devastated.

From BBC

The talks made little progress and haven’t resumed since the 12-day June war with Israel that devastated Iran’s atomic and missile program as well as its air defenses.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• broken
• demolished
• lost
• ravaged
• ruined
• shattered
• smashed
• wrecked