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

Past forced contact with outsiders brought trauma, including disease outbreaks that devastated Indigenous populations lacking immunity.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

But his neighborhood was devastated in a hurricane six years later -- and insurance costs are climbing.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

"There are no words. Until now I still feel torn apart, I still can't believe it... right now I am deeply devastated," he told the BBC over the phone on Monday.

From BBC • May 11, 2026

“We are devastated because he meant everything to us,” Michelle said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

Jinjoo was not surprised, but Eunjoo was devastated.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

Related Words

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