Synonyms

devastated

American

[dev-uh-stey-tid] / ˈdɛv əˌsteɪ tɪd /

adjective

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

the simple past tense and past participle of devastate.

Other Word Forms

undevastated adjective

Etymology

Origin of devastated

devastate ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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.

Lyric Theatre Belfast, the venue where he performed the leading role in the Shakespeare play, said it was devastated to learn of his death.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Lay she did, about a month after the loss that devastated fans of the birds.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Alice, not her real name, said she was devastated by the news.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Becerra pointed to his experiences leading the sprawling federal health agency in the Biden administration, including dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the wildfires that devastated Maui, Hawaii, avian flu and monkey pox.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

If she paid attention to one of his friends instead, he was devastated.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023