devastating
adjective
dev·as·tat·ing
ˈde-və-ˌstā-tiŋ 
1
: causing great damage or harm
a devastating flood/earthquake
a devastating injury
A devastating coastal tsunami could also result from a severe displacement of the San Andreas Fault.—
Gary Sandquist
Gary Sandquist2
: causing extreme emotional pain
a devastating loss
Even the most banal domestic melodramas, readers come to understand, are experienced as devastating tragedies by children living them for the first time.—Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly3
: extremely effective or powerful
a devastating satire
He had a devastating wit and an utter contempt for shoddy work in physics.—Jeremy Bernstein
Jeremy Bernstein
devastatingly
adverb
Some people recover readily from the infection, but in others it becomes disseminated, spreading rapidly and devastatingly from lungs to bones, skin and nervous system
—Lawrence Galton
Lawrence Galton
Postcards from the Edge is a devastatingly savvy, bitingly funny, yet sad movie based on Carrie Fisher's autobiographical novel about Hollywood.
—Jeffrey Lyons
Jeffrey Lyons
… is portrayed as a devastatingly effective power broker in the Senate.
—Alan Brinkley
Alan Brinkley
Examples of devastating in a Sentence
a devastating blow to our morale
Recent Examples on the Web
Rinderknecht, a onetime Palisades resident, faces several charges related to the blaze, one of the most devastating in California history.
—Sierra Van Der Brug, Daily News, 10 June 2026
The closure was devastating, Clemetson said.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
But that’s mostly because Florida’s and Brazil’s orange crops have an ongoing, devastating citrus greening problem.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 10 June 2026
Losing his presence in our lives is devastating, and losing his friendship leaves a void that is truly impossible to fill.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for devastating
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Sierra Van Der Brug, Daily News, 10 June 2026
The closure was devastating, Clemetson said.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
But that’s mostly because Florida’s and Brazil’s orange crops have an ongoing, devastating citrus greening problem.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 10 June 2026
Losing his presence in our lives is devastating, and losing his friendship leaves a void that is truly impossible to fill.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for devastating
Cite this Entry
“Devastating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devastating. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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