devastation
AmericanEtymology
Origin of devastation
1425–75; late Middle English < Late Latin dēvastātiōn- (stem of dēvastātiō ), equivalent to Latin dēvastāt ( us ) ( devastate ) + -iōn- -ion
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.
Plaza later broke her silence about her struggle to deal with her grief, telling fellow comedian Amy Poehler that her devastation felt like a “giant ocean of awfulness.”
From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026
Witnesses testified about the devastation caused by a nationwide downturn in television and film production that has hit California particularly hard.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
"The devastation of her loss to us, her family and friends is immeasurable."
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026
And though the devastation wrought by last year’s fire was unprecedented in its scale, the Schneiders remain optimistic about the future of their beloved enclave and its plucky local paper.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2026
“In the thermonuclear age, any misjudgment on either side about the intentions of the other could rain more devastation in several hours than has been wrought in all the wars of human history.”
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
