devastated

[ dev-uh-stey-tid ]

adjective

1. laid waste; made desolate:

   After the earthquake there were concerns about asbestos in the rubble of many of the devastated houses.

2. 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

1. the simple past tense and past participle of devastate ( def ).

Other Words From

• un·dev·as·tat·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of devastated¹

devastate ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

Mrs Senior added: "As Leah’s parents, we are so shocked. We never saw this coming and we are devastated."

From BBC

The infusion of new talent and ideas is a significant change from when Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island disaster in 1979 and the Chernobyl meltdown in 1986 devastated the industry.

From Los Angeles Times

The charity single was conceived as a way to tackle the famine that devastated Ethiopia in 1984.

From BBC

“People are devastated and terrified about what this might mean for their access to medications,” McClain told Salon in a phone interview.

From Salon

I am feeling sad and shocked, ultimately devastated by this defeat.

From Salon

Related Words

• broken
• demolished
• lost
• ravaged
• ruined
• shattered
• smashed
• wrecked