wasteland

American  

[weyst-land] / ˈweɪstˌlænd /

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of wasteland

First recorded in 1630–40; waste + -land

Example Sentences

It was a wasteland of corporate buzzwords, 4 a.m. wake-up routines and stories about overcoming workplace adversity with a little something called grit.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026

The hit TV show is an adaptation of the popular role-playing game of the same name, set 200 years after a nuclear war leaves the Earth a wasteland.

From BBC • Dec. 3, 2025

Just five years ago, midtown Manhattan was a wasteland as the pandemic dominated life in a city that had seen some of the darkest times of Covid-19 only months earlier.

From Barron's • Oct. 21, 2025

Also, the designation “forest” seems generous: The gnarled and stripped trees look broken, suggesting an open wasteland instead of a battleground that could provide cover.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 1, 2025

Now it is just a dry, flat wasteland.

From "Holes" by Louis Sachar

Related Words

• desert
• swamp