devastation
AmericanOther Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of devastation
1425–75; late Middle English < Late Latin dēvastātiōn- (stem of dēvastātiō ), equivalent to Latin dēvastāt ( us ) ( see devastate) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
When there's devastation, there's terrible destruction. You can see the devastation from a violent hurricane and feel devastation over all the people that were injured. When a natural disaster causes widespread death and destruction, that's devastation. This is a strong word that suggests serious damage has occurred, leaving almost nothing left. One knocked over car isn't devastation, but a whole town being wiped out is. People can also feel devastation — it's a kind of extreme sadness or state of feeling emotionally wrecked.
Vocabulary lists containing devastation
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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.
See Examples For:
Upon hearing Poland’s order, Eatherly closed his eyes in a look of utter devastation.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
Nontheless, scarred by the devastation of the 2025 Palisades fire, 2024 Franklin fire and 2018 Woolsey fire, Malibuites take fire safety seriously.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The region's fire chief Simon Tuhill said there was extensive devastation while Prime Minister Andy Burnham said it was "awful" to see the impact on homes and communities and thanked firefighters tackling the blazes.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Over her lifetime, South Korea has witnessed the devastation of the 1950-53 war, periods of military rule and the 1990s financial crisis.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
“According to plan!” gasped Holly, pointing to the devastation surrounding them.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
Reeves met Friday with Biden, who was in Rolling Fork, Miss., to survey the devastations from last month’s tornadoes.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 1, 2023
Tucson’s crater-like monument notwithstanding, these impacts feel less like the strikes of meteors than the devastations of a cancer devouring us from within.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 26, 2023
The Indus River, which caused much of the devastations in Sindh, is now at normal levels, though authorities say it will take another two months to completely drain the water.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 17, 2022
Like many of the songs on Punisher, I Know The End juxtaposes Bridgers' personal devastations with those of the world crumbling outside her front door.
From BBC ● Dec. 16, 2020
Its devastations are increasing with the progress of clearing, and are every day turning a portion of our frontier departments into barren wastes.
From Man and Nature or, Physical Geography as Modified by Human Action by George P. Marsh
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.
