1
: brought to a state of ruin or destruction
Dr. Dawdy, a 38-year-old assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Chicago, is one of the more unusual relief workers among the thousands who have come to the devastated expanses of Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. John Schwartz
I present here a steady flow model for the blast dynamics and propose that through much of the devastated area the blast was a supersonic flow of a complex multiphase (solid, liquid, vapour) mixture. Susan Werner Kieffer
2
: emotionally shattered or distraught
Doug never called. He dumped me for the cheerleader, and I was, in the parlance of teen-age romance, absolutely devastated. Marialisa Calta
Mr. Jacoby was devastated; he felt he was a proven winner and should not be yanked for one bad half. Ira Berkow

Examples of devastated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Over 250 conflicts in the past century have claimed millions of lives, devastated economies and crippled infrastructure. Dr. Adil Dalal, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025 In a matter of moments, the world lost a beloved artist, and her family, friends, and fans were left devastated and in mourning. Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 6 Mar. 2025 After wildfires devastated parts of the Los Angeles area, thousands of federal firefighters got layoff notices. David Lightman, Sacramento Bee, 21 Feb. 2025 Trump this month proposed the US taking ownership of Gaza and moving Palestinians out of the devastated strip permanently, triggering a storm of protest. Jennifer Hansler, CNN, 16 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for devastated

Word History

First Known Use

1792, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of devastated was in 1792

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Cite this Entry

“Devastated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devastated. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

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