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

“And it’s here,” Ms. Applegate tells the listener, that “your devastated narrator slowly raises her hand to sadly admit to all three, and then some.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Catastrophe losses, net of reinsurance, dropped to $761 million from $2.3 billion the year prior, when wildfires devastated the Los Angeles area.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

Iommi said he was "absolutely devastated" to have lost "a very dear friend".

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Mozart was devastated when his childhood friend was killed in a boating accident just eight years later, the same year as the death of Mozart’s mother.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

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