wasteland

American  

[weyst-land] / ˈweɪstˌlænd /

noun

wastelands plural

1. land that is uncultivated or barren.

2. an area that is devastated, as by flood, storm, or war.

3. something, as a period of history, phase of existence, or locality, that is spiritually or intellectually barren.

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wasteland British  

/ ˈweɪstˌlænd /

noun

1. a barren or desolate area of land, not or no longer used for cultivation or building

2. a region, period in history, etc, that is considered spiritually, intellectually, or aesthetically barren or desolate

   American television is a cultural wasteland

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• wastelands
  plural

Etymology

Origin of wasteland

First recorded in 1630–40; waste + -land

Explanation

A wasteland is someplace that's empty and desolate, with no sign of life or growth. An area may be a wasteland because of toxic materials in the soil, or due to climate conditions like strong winds. You can't grow anything in a wasteland, despite all that open space — typically, the soil doesn't have enough nutrients for plants to survive. Sometimes a barren area with limited biodiversity is called a wasteland, though a few species do grow there. A neglected urban area, like an empty lot or a playground that's unused and in disrepair, might also be called a wasteland. T.S. Eliot's most famous poem, "The Waste Land," alludes to a wasteland from Arthurian legend.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wasteland wastelands

The play, which had its premiere off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre, is a freewheeling love story, set in a skate park in the middle of an urban wasteland.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

Half a lifetime ago, I had a crappy copyediting job that meant I had to drive for 90 minutes through traffic across the sprawling concrete wasteland of Phoenix.

From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026

By the mid-1980s, the North American Soccer League had collapsed—and the U.S. was widely viewed as a soccer wasteland.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

She said rubbish was often dumped directly outside her door, on nearby steps and on surrounding wasteland, blocking drains and creating serious health risks.

From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2026

The pilots throttled back the engines and all nine helicopters landed safely on the great yellow wasteland.

From "The BFG" by Roald Dahl

Bare-knuckle is the oldest form of boxing but became associated with unlicensed fights on wastelands after The Marquess of Queensberry rules were introduced in 1867, which insisted on gloves.

From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2026

Millions of visitors are going to experience American cities that they’ve been told are unlivable wastelands.

From Salon ● Feb. 10, 2026

In both public perception and official policy, savannas in India and elsewhere have often been labeled "wastelands."

From Science Daily ● Feb. 1, 2026

Multiple generations of Americans have been socialized to believe that a mecca of cheap, dirty pleasures awaits in the wastelands of southern Nevada.

From Slate ● Nov. 18, 2025

Now the captain plays a mournful, chilling dirge on his organ as the Nautilus sleeps in the wastelands of the sea.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

Related Words

• desert
• swamp