Definition of wasteland
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
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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 of wasteland from the Web
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What used to be a vibrant tourist attraction is now a deserted wasteland where every building is either collapsed or scarred beyond recognition.
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The shock of driving south on the Turnpike to see the entire world opening up into an endless wasteland of debris.
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Cinematographer Christoph Krauss’ fluid camerawork creates a visual poetry from industrial wastelands and an impressive assortment of locales.
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The Manchester still reeling from Monday night’s terrorist attack is not the decaying postindustrial wasteland of the 1970s.
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Ana Lily Amirpour's follow-up to her stellar A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is a one-of-a-kind gem: a dystopian romance set in a desert wasteland about a girl (Suki Waterhouse) who falls in love with the leader of a cannibal clan (Jason Momoa).
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No Promises’ music video, which was set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
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Sci-fi visionary and father of cyberspace William Gibson returns to the 21st century’s literary wasteland with Zero History.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wasteland'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of wasteland
14th century
WASTELAND Defined for English Language Learners
wasteland
playDefinition of wasteland for English Language Learners
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: land where nothing can grow or be built : land that is not usable
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: an ugly and often ruined place or area
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: something that is being compared to a large, empty area of land because it has no real value or interest
WASTELAND Defined for Kids
wasteland
playDefinition of wasteland for Students
: land that is barren or not fit for crops
Learn More about wasteland
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See words that rhyme with wasteland Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for wasteland Spanish Central: Translation of wasteland Nglish: Translation of wasteland for Spanish speakers
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