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
How devastating of a mistake that was made by both funeral homes.
—Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 28 July 2025
This time, the duo sets their sights on transforming the home of a heroic fire captain who battled the devastating Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 28 July 2025
Fuentes is a member of the rescue group Fundación 911, which was one of the earliest first responders to the devastating flash floods in central Texas earlier this month.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 28 July 2025
In Arkansas, where 1 in 5 children are food insecure and 1 in 3 children in rural counties are in that situation, the new law will have a devastating impact, said Tomekia Moore, executive director for Arkansas Community Action Agencies Association.
—Arkansas Online, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for devastating
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Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 28 July 2025
This time, the duo sets their sights on transforming the home of a heroic fire captain who battled the devastating Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 28 July 2025
Fuentes is a member of the rescue group Fundación 911, which was one of the earliest first responders to the devastating flash floods in central Texas earlier this month.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 28 July 2025
In Arkansas, where 1 in 5 children are food insecure and 1 in 3 children in rural counties are in that situation, the new law will have a devastating impact, said Tomekia Moore, executive director for Arkansas Community Action Agencies Association.
—Arkansas Online, 27 July 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 1 Aug. 2025.
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