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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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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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.
It was this initial fire -- which firefighters believed they had extinguished -- that subsequently reignited on January 7, devastating the neighborhood and parts of the city of Malibu, according to federal prosecutors.
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
This technology was pioneered by Russia to devastating effect in late 2024.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
NT Police Commissioner Martin Dole said Kumanjayi Little Baby's family had been notified and "our thoughts are firmly with them at this devastating time".
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026
I lost my mom not that many years ago, and it’s hard to digest how the most destructive and emotionally devastating things are also absolutely assured and commonplace.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
John Henry smashed his hammer down left and right, and Miss Sarah and Miss Rose launched devastating strikes over and over from high above.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
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.
