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
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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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.
Banks are privately owned, but the devastating risks that bank runs impose on the broader economy aren’t.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
After a road accident, barrister Annette Morris suffered a devastating stroke on both sides of her body which left her unable to walk or talk.
From BBC • May 17, 2026
He added that Ukraine's stockpiles were already low following a devastating Russian campaign against Ukrainian energy facilities over the winter.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
While oil has already had a blowout year due to the unresolved and devastating Iran war, some say it’s underpriced as big shortages loom.
From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026
The issue of individual rights versus the common good resurfaced in a major way in the 1980s with the devastating HIV/AIDS epidemic.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
