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
- devastatingly adverb
- undevastating adjective
- undevastatingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of devastating
First recorded in 1625–35; devastat(e) + -ing 2
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.
If upheld, this order could apply to “tens of thousands of children born every month, “ they said, “devastating families around the country.”
From Los Angeles Times
The splitter and its devastating sinking action had been the defining pitch of the 1980s.
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 Literature
Itauma's devastating power is undeniable, once again on display as he dispatched a seasoned opponent inside the first half of the fight.
From BBC
Unlike Jane, many of the other people who contacted us over the past year didn't make the connection between impulsive behaviours and these medications - leading to devastating consequences.
From BBC
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.
