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
Synonyms
Examples of devastating in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That ruling was a devastating blow to the regime and likely changed its calculus.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
Although in 1993 the levees around Kansas City held, the flooding from May through September was devastating.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
The abolition of hanging has just arrived in 1965 England, a devastating blow to Harry (Will Springhorn Jr.) who has built a career sending mortals to the bottom.
—David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
Glas has been accused by the Ecuadorian authorities of embezzling government funds meant to help rebuild after a devastating 2016 earthquake.
—Ana María Cañizares, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
Six months into the war in Gaza, the human cost has been devastating.
—Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024
By Mallory Moench Updated: April 7, 2024 8:21 PM EDT | Originally published: April 7, 2024 10:37 AM EDT
On Oct. 7, Hamas militants stormed into Israel from Gaza, killing around 1,200 people, most civilians, and taking more than 250 hostage, igniting a devastating war.
—Mallory Moench, TIME, 7 Apr. 2024
Seven aid workers from celebrity chef Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen died last week in an Israeli airstrike, a devastating incident that immediately prompted international condemnation.
—USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
Fortunately, fears of social unrest appear to have receded, despite the devastating impact on people’s purchasing power.
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
Although in 1993 the levees around Kansas City held, the flooding from May through September was devastating.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
The abolition of hanging has just arrived in 1965 England, a devastating blow to Harry (Will Springhorn Jr.) who has built a career sending mortals to the bottom.
—David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
Glas has been accused by the Ecuadorian authorities of embezzling government funds meant to help rebuild after a devastating 2016 earthquake.
—Ana María Cañizares, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
Six months into the war in Gaza, the human cost has been devastating.
—Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024
By Mallory Moench Updated: April 7, 2024 8:21 PM EDT | Originally published: April 7, 2024 10:37 AM EDT
On Oct. 7, Hamas militants stormed into Israel from Gaza, killing around 1,200 people, most civilians, and taking more than 250 hostage, igniting a devastating war.
—Mallory Moench, TIME, 7 Apr. 2024
Seven aid workers from celebrity chef Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen died last week in an Israeli airstrike, a devastating incident that immediately prompted international condemnation.
—USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
Fortunately, fears of social unrest appear to have receded, despite the devastating impact on people’s purchasing power.
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'devastating.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Devastating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devastating. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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