devastated

adjective

dev·​as·​tat·​ed ˈde-və-ˌstā-təd How to pronounce devastated (audio)
1
: brought to a state of ruin or destruction
Dr. Dawdy, a 38-year-old assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Chicago, is one of the more unusual relief workers among the thousands who have come to the devastated expanses of Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.John Schwartz
I present here a steady flow model for the blast dynamics and propose that through much of the devastated area the blast was a supersonic flow of a complex multiphase (solid, liquid, vapour) mixture.Susan Werner Kieffer
2
: emotionally shattered or distraught
Doug never called. He dumped me for the cheerleader, and I was, in the parlance of teen-age romance, absolutely devastated.Marialisa Calta
Mr. Jacoby was devastated; he felt he was a proven winner and should not be yanked for one bad half.Ira Berkow

Examples of devastated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Among those assisting are search teams and emergency crews from Mexico, who have joined overwhelmed local responders in searching for the missing and helping clean up devastated communities. Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 8 July 2025 The girls left behind a devastated big sister along with their parents. Andrew Demillo, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025 The scene that followed the announcement showed a devastated Nic coping with the news that his love connection on the Peacock dating series had left. Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 6 July 2025 Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said the bodies of 32 people had been recovered so far in the devastated Hill Country: 18 adults and 14 children. arkansasonline.com, 6 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for devastated

Word History

First Known Use

1792, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of devastated was in 1792

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Cite this Entry

“Devastated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devastated. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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