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.
Thompson said that recent reports of dead and dying seabirds washing ashore in large numbers from Spain to Scotland, is "devastating".
From BBC
Prosecutor Marcello Viola, the lead investigator, said the impact between the tram and the building was "devastating".
From Barron's
Michael Gerrard, director of Columbia Law School's climate change law center, told AFP the judgment was "devastating."
From Barron's
Moorland, forestry and rural environments were "extremely vulnerable", with even small flames having "devastating consequences", Dyson said.
From BBC
"It's sad and devastating and really unbelievable," he said.
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.
