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
  • Families confronting a devastating diagnosis may already be frightened, grieving and overwhelmed.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Nepal is still recovering from devastating flooding in August that swept away several villages, leaving more than 1,400 people dead and nearly 6,000 missing.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of devastating
Adjective
  • The designer had felt the atmosphere shift after her disastrous outdoor cruise collection in Marseille in May 2024, which was marred by a mini-storm.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • European leaders and oil executives at the time said that such a ban would be disastrous for long-term oil flow.
    — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of disastrous
Adjective
  • Recent warnings about the potential destructive power of AI are understating the severity of the situation.
    — Geoffrey Irving, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Desperate to change, Tonya turns to her estranged mother, Wanda (Miller), who offers little concern and instead accuses her of repeating the same destructive patterns that shaped her own childhood.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 2 Oct. 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 7 Oct. 2026.

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