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Synonyms

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.

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

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

His sudden death has devastated his family and fellow car enthusiasts.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Mother-of-four Nicky Maidment, from Filton in Bristol, lost everything when a fire devastated her home in February 2020.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

Alice, not her real name, said she was devastated by the news.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Becerra pointed to his experiences leading the sprawling federal health agency in the Biden administration, including dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the wildfires that devastated Maui, Hawaii, avian flu and monkey pox.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

My charming friends were devastated by my description of my future.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

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.