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
At least 7 killed in Missouri A storm that produced a devastating tornado in the St. Louis area Friday afternoon has left at least five people dead and many others injured, according to local authorities.
—Matt Rehbein, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
Yes, a lottery pick would have helped this mix, but missing out on the potential for the top of the lottery in 2026 and ’28 could have been just as devastating.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 May 2025
To come this far and fall — again — at the last fence would be devastating.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 17 May 2025
The Knicks’ 121-113 win in Game 4 was particularly devastating for the Celtics, who lost Jayson Tatum — their leader in points, rebounds and assists per game — to a right Achilles tear in the waning minutes.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for devastating
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Matt Rehbein, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
Yes, a lottery pick would have helped this mix, but missing out on the potential for the top of the lottery in 2026 and ’28 could have been just as devastating.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 May 2025
To come this far and fall — again — at the last fence would be devastating.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 17 May 2025
The Knicks’ 121-113 win in Game 4 was particularly devastating for the Celtics, who lost Jayson Tatum — their leader in points, rebounds and assists per game — to a right Achilles tear in the waning minutes.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 17 May 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 20 May. 2025.
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