devastated
Americanadjective
-
laid waste; made desolate.
After the earthquake there were concerns about asbestos in the rubble of many of the devastated houses.
-
overwhelmed or shocked, especially by profound loss, disappointment, humiliation, etc..
I’m grateful that no one I knew personally died in the hurricane, but my heart goes out to all those devastated families.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of devastated
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.
“At the time, I was devastated and angry.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
"Nick loved his parents, and he is devastated by their deaths," the petition, filed Monday, says.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
His parents and sister were in shock, and his wife, Erika, was utterly devastated.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
The government's new maternity adviser is calling on Meta to meet bereaved families left "devastated" by pregnancy-related adverts after losing their babies.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
“Rob was devastated when Gary died,” says Helen Wilton, who worked as Hall’s Base Camp manager on Everest in 1993, ’95, and ’96.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
