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
As a result, more children were vaccinated against devastating viruses, and more were lives saved.
—Jennifer Lotito, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
Familiar Touch could figure in Lead Actress for Broadway star Kathleen Chalfant’s astounding and devastating turn as a woman slipping into dementia and sent to live out her days in a nursing home.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 30 June 2025
The Smith trade, however, could potentially have devastating consequences for the Dolphins offense.
—C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 30 June 2025
During a time when our city should be rejoicing and celebrating members of our diverse LGBTQ+ community, incidents like this are devastating.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for devastating
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Jennifer Lotito, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
Familiar Touch could figure in Lead Actress for Broadway star Kathleen Chalfant’s astounding and devastating turn as a woman slipping into dementia and sent to live out her days in a nursing home.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 30 June 2025
The Smith trade, however, could potentially have devastating consequences for the Dolphins offense.
—C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 30 June 2025
During a time when our city should be rejoicing and celebrating members of our diverse LGBTQ+ community, incidents like this are devastating.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for devastating
Cite this Entry
“Devastating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devastating. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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