Definition of devastating
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
2
: 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
3
: extremely effective or powerful
a devastating satire He had a devastating wit and an utter contempt for shoddy work in physics.— Jeremy Bernstein
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for devastating
The first known use of devastating was in 1634
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