- present participle of devastate.
devastating
Americanadjective
-
tending or threatening to devastate.
a devastating fire.
-
satirical, ironic, or caustic in an effective way.
a devastating portrayal of society.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of devastating
First recorded in 1625–35; devastat(e) + -ing 2
Explanation
Something that's shocking and distressing is devastating. Watching the local ice cream shop burn to the ground would be devastating to many neighborhood kids. Incredibly destructive events like earthquakes are devastating, although anything that's tragic, even on a personal level, can also be devastating. It's also used informally to mean incredibly affecting or impressive, like a photographer's devastating images of urban poverty. This meaning came into use in the late 1800s — before that, devastating came right from the Latin word devastare, "to lay waste completely."
Vocabulary lists containing devastating
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Hatchet
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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.
"First and foremost, my thoughts are with the victim's family and loved ones at this devastating time," said Det Insp Neil Higginson.
From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2026
Simon Chilcott, HM Principal Inspector from HSE, said the incident was "devastating"
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026
Nearly two years after the devastating Palisades fire, the Bay Theater is finally reopening its doors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026
In 1950 communist forces from North Korea invaded South Korea, triggering a war that exacted a devastating human and political toll.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026
I ask, but as I do I notice that the nameplate beside Mr. Harris’s door no longer says “Mr. George Harris,” and the devastating answer to her presence in the hallway becomes clear.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
