devastating

[ dev-uh-stey-ting ]

adjective

1. tending or threatening to devastate:

   a devastating fire.

2. satirical, ironic, or caustic in an effective way:

   a devastating portrayal of society.

devastating

/ ˈdɛvəˌsteɪtɪŋ /

adjective

1. extremely effective in a destructive way

   a devastating report on urban deprivation

   a devastating war

Derived Forms

• ˈdevasˌtatingly, adverb

Other Words From

• devas·tating·ly adverb
• un·devas·tating adjective
• un·devas·tating·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of devastating¹

First recorded in 1625–35; devastat(e) + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Even when asked to complete devastating tasks, like facilitating the executions of close friends, they don’t flinch.

From Los Angeles Times

As we have seen in the stories of these families years later, his policies had devastating effects then, and they promise to again.

From Los Angeles Times

A 2019 study by Syphard attempted to quantify the degree to which home hardening measures actually protected homes against fire by analyzing more than 40,000 structures that faced wildfires from 2013 to 2018 — a period that included the devastating Camp and Woolsey fires.

From Los Angeles Times

As one fan tweeted that it was “about time he got that recognition,” another user wrote that the decision made for “another devastating Tuesday night in November,” seemingly hinting at the results of the 2024 election.

From Los Angeles Times

“The first round was pretty intense because you don’t know what to expect. You don’t know how you’re going to feel. Is this going to hit me immediately? Is it going to be devastating? Am I going to walk out of here?”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• calamitous
• destructive
• disastrous
• overwhelming