devastated
adjective
dev·as·tat·ed
ˈde-və-ˌstā-təd 
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
John SchwartzI 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
Susan Werner Kieffer2
: 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
Marialisa CaltaMr. Jacoby was devastated; he felt he was a proven winner and should not be yanked for one bad half.—Ira Berkow
Ira BerkowExamples of devastated in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One of the residents, Rosalia Bustamante, told NPR government delays in getting rescue equipment to devastated areas have cost lives.
—
Fatima Al-Kassab,
NPR,
1 July 2026
Various countries are deploying rescue teams to Venezuela and pledges of foreign aid are pouring in after twin earthquakes destroyed neighborhoods and devastated communities.
—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
With this growth came the construction of new factories, freeways and high-rise condos, while devastated wetlands once inhabited by cranes were systematically drained and repurposed for human use, never to return.
—
The Los Angeles Times,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
Needless to say, my wife, daughters and myself were shocked and devastated.
—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for devastated
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Fatima Al-Kassab,
NPR,
1 July 2026
Various countries are deploying rescue teams to Venezuela and pledges of foreign aid are pouring in after twin earthquakes destroyed neighborhoods and devastated communities.
—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
With this growth came the construction of new factories, freeways and high-rise condos, while devastated wetlands once inhabited by cranes were systematically drained and repurposed for human use, never to return.
—
The Los Angeles Times,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
Needless to say, my wife, daughters and myself were shocked and devastated.
—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for devastated
Cite this Entry
“Devastated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devastated. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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