wasteland

noun

waste·​land ˈwāst-ˌland How to pronounce wasteland (audio)
 also  -lənd
1
: barren or uncultivated land
a desert wasteland
2
: an ugly often devastated or barely inhabitable place or area
3
: something (such as a way of life) that is spiritually and emotionally arid and unsatisfying

Examples of wasteland in a Sentence

The outskirts of the city became a grim industrial wasteland. That part of the country is a cultural wasteland. the vast wasteland of television
Recent Examples on the Web Then again, nostalgia isn’t always a creative wasteland. Molly Young, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024 As Maximus and Lucy stand side-by-side overlooking the wasteland, Maximus offers his own pithy observation. Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 Parts of Gaza look like a wasteland One hundred days into the war, thousands of lives have been lost and countless families torn apart. Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2024 Both teams will live in a desolate wasteland once their superstars retire. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2024 The neighborhood is a wasteland, surrounded by mounds of earth and rubble and churned up roads. Isabel Kershner, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2024 While high-speed trains within the state would doubtlessly offer a service that is not available via the current train lines, the utter wasteland that is Amtrak in California should have given officials a pause before sinking another $6 billion into a utopian dream. Kayla Bartsch, National Review, 29 Dec. 2023 There, beyond a wasteland that can't help but summon visions of nuclear fallout, lies a room that's said to grant a person's innermost desires. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 9 Nov. 2023 Other cities stormed by the IDF in its mission to destroy Hamas have been turned into wastelands – a grim preview of what could be in store for Rafah. Helen Regan, CNN, 12 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wasteland.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wasteland was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near wasteland

Cite this Entry

“Wasteland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wasteland. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wasteland

noun
waste·​land ˈwāst-ˌland How to pronounce wasteland (audio)
1
: land that is not cultivated or not fit for the cultivation of crops
2
: an ugly often ruined place or area

More from Merriam-Webster on wasteland

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