wasteland

noun

waste·​land ˈwāst-ˌland 

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

Synonyms of wasteland

• desert
• barren

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

This film tells the story of Nausicaa, a young girl living in a wasteland who can communicate with giant insects. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2026

This version is set in a seemingly poisonous, post-nuclear wasteland, filled with flaming tree trunks. —Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026

The biggest issue with Tatis batting first all of 2025 was that the bottom of the Padres’ order was a wasteland. —Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026

Some ghouls lose their humanity, while others become more violent shells of their former selves, attacking the wasteland creatures and the player. —Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for wasteland

• ampersand
• beforehand
• behindhand
• bottomland
• contraband
• countermand
• dixieland
• fairyland
• fatherland
• firebrand
• hinterland
• motherland

Kids Definition

wasteland

noun

waste·​land ˈwāst-ˌland 

1

: land that is not cultivated or not fit for the cultivation of crops

2

: an ugly often ruined place or area