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.
Minutes after the devastating performance, Malinin admitted to feeling overwhelmed by the intense pressure of the Olympics.
"You are very much in my thoughts and prayers, and I hope that you will now be able to rest and recover from this devastating ordeal."
From BBC
In a January essay, he detailed concerns that bad actors could use AI to mount devastating biological attacks, and that authoritarian regimes could use it to entrench their power.
U.S. skier Jackie Miles was preparing for the 2018 Olympics in South Korea when she crashed in Garmisch, Germany, and suffered a devastating knee injury that scuttled her trip to the Games.
From Los Angeles Times
While devastating at the time, Carstensen says she understands his desires and respects them.
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.
