devastative

adjective

Definition of devastativenext
as in devastating
causing or tending to cause destruction that kind of devastative tornado can tear the roof off of a house in a matter of seconds

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastative
  1. devastating
  2. disastrous
  3. destructive
Adjective
  • So having the pieces start to fall around her is devastating.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
  • When mice at Patricia Hunt’s lab at Washington State University began losing fetuses with devastating birth defects — facial deformities and missing hindquarters — or failed to reproduce at all, Hunt immediately put on her detective hat.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of devastating
Adjective
  • After a disastrous road trip and traumatic trade deadline, Washington earned a feel-good victory.
    — Noah White, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2026
  • After a disastrous stint in Carolina and a one-year return to coaching as Stanford’s interim coach in 2025, Frank Reich arrived with a fresh perspective as the Jets’ offensive coordinator.
    — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of disastrous
Adjective
  • Is promoting a destructive habit to aid education, at the cost of harming others, a genuine reflection of our values?
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Fire danger continues in the Pacific Northwest Saturday as flame-fueling winds reached their strongest point in days on Friday, challenging fire crews battling to keep destructive blazes from spreading in Spokane, Washington, and across the region.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of destructive
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

devastations
devastative
develop
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Cite this Entry

“Devastative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastative. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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