- present participle of devastate.
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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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.
“While his acceptance of responsibility is an important step, it cannot undo the devastating consequences of his actions. Pedro Valdez is missed by everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
An EU spokeswoman said the bloc was "ready to help Spain if needed", while European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said "Europe mourns" with the victims after the "devastating news".
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
Prosecutor Elizabeth Espinosa said the brothers deserved the maximum punishment for their crimes, saying facts "paint a truly devastating picture".
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
Add to this one that emerges from a different patrimony: the rise of Notre-Dame Cathedral from the ashes of a devastating fire, exactly as the people wanted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
I’d had close friends go through devastating breakups, brought on by small problems left unattended or lapses in communication that led eventually to irreparable rifts.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
