devastating
adjective
dev·as·tat·ing
ˈde-və-ˌstā-tiŋ 
1
: causing great damage or harm
a devastating flood/earthquake
a devastating injury
A devastating coastal tsunami could also result from a severe displacement of the San Andreas Fault.—
Gary Sandquist
Gary Sandquist2
: causing extreme emotional pain
a devastating loss
Even the most banal domestic melodramas, readers come to understand, are experienced as devastating tragedies by children living them for the first time.—Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly3
: extremely effective or powerful
a devastating satire
He had a devastating wit and an utter contempt for shoddy work in physics.—Jeremy Bernstein
Jeremy Bernstein
devastatingly
adverb
Some people recover readily from the infection, but in others it becomes disseminated, spreading rapidly and devastatingly from lungs to bones, skin and nervous system
—Lawrence Galton
Lawrence Galton
Postcards from the Edge is a devastatingly savvy, bitingly funny, yet sad movie based on Carrie Fisher's autobiographical novel about Hollywood.
—Jeffrey Lyons
Jeffrey Lyons
… is portrayed as a devastatingly effective power broker in the Senate.
—Alan Brinkley
Alan Brinkley
Examples of devastating in a Sentence
a devastating blow to our morale
Recent Examples on the Web
Six people were hospitalized in California following a devastating home explosion caught on video.
—Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 12 Dec. 2025
The devastating tragedy generated headlines around the world.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 12 Dec. 2025
After a devastating pregnancy loss in 2020, Legend and Teigen grew their brood by two in 2023.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
Residents in parts of California and Nevada are eligible to apply for low-interest loans of up to $500,000 after devastating wildfires engulfed the region.
—Associate News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devastating
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Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 12 Dec. 2025
The devastating tragedy generated headlines around the world.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 12 Dec. 2025
After a devastating pregnancy loss in 2020, Legend and Teigen grew their brood by two in 2023.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
Residents in parts of California and Nevada are eligible to apply for low-interest loans of up to $500,000 after devastating wildfires engulfed the region.
—Associate News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for devastating
Cite this Entry
“Devastating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devastating. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.
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