devastating 1 of 2

adjective

ˈde-və-ˌstā-tiŋ How to pronounce devastating (audio)
Definition of devastatingnext
as in disastrous
causing or tending to cause destruction a devastating blow to our morale

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

devastating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of devastate
1
as in ravaging
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action the city was devastated, first by the earthquake and then by fires

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in destroying
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of the explosion devastated an entire city block

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in overwhelming
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress we were devastated by the awful news of his death

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of devastating
Adjective
Last season the Hurricane Center correctly anticipated the rapid intensification of Hurricane Melissa almost three days before its devastating arrival in Jamaica based largely on the projections from DeepMind. — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026 Wisconsin is set to receive nearly $18 million in federal disaster aid after weeks of waiting following a devastating tornado in Menasha. — CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
At least one person remains missing and two are dead following devastating flash floods in the Grand Canyon over the weekend. — Michael Loria, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 Rescue crews and foreign specialists are racing to find scores of workers feared trapped alive inside hydropower tunnels in Nepal, after thick mud buried the facilities during last week’s devastating flash floods. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for devastating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastating
  1. disastrous
  2. ravaging
  3. destroying
  4. overwhelming
  5. destructive
  6. shattering
  7. overcoming
  8. deadly
Adjective
  • In part, this is a story about the short-term desperation of Republicans in the face of midterms that seem set to be disastrous.
    — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Formed in the aftermath of a disastrous mountain war with China in 1962, the ITBP operates in some of the most inhospitable terrain on Earth.
    — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of disastrous
Verb
  • My dad believed this outpatient clinic — which cost nearly $10,000 a week — could save him from the Stage 4 lung cancer ravaging his body.
    — Trisha Thadani Kirsten Potter Tanya Pérez Devin Murphy, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The Grand Canyon has seen ravaging floods in the past week, sparking search and rescue missions and damaging nearly 40% of its sole water pipeline.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of ravaging
Verb
  • Sign up for the newsletter When the rain does fall, Kabul’s hard, impermeable surfaces mean the water doesn’t replenish aquifers, but instead sweeps through the city as flash floods, destroying homes, killing people and rolling away.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Space debris is generated not only by kinetic space weapons but also when satellites collide and get smashed into countless fragments and smaller particles that travel at high velocity and are capable of destroying or damaging more spacecraft.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroying
Verb
  • The rich tomato sauce brought plenty of flavor, the Italian sausage added a savory bite and the Calabrian peppers gave the dish a lingering heat without overwhelming everything else.
    — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The media has overwhelming taken Wilson's side, even after the man was proven innocent, and players like Chicago Sky's Natasha Cloud claimed the fan may be a domestic abuser.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of overwhelming
Adjective
  • Simon is expected to make landfall early tomorrow, bringing heavy rain, destructive waves and potentially life-threatening flooding and mudslides, according to the National Hurricane Center.
    — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Hirose, who also writes and edits, has constructed a brilliantly volatile scenario, vulnerable to any number of potentially explosive and destructive dramatic developments.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of destructive
Verb
  • Surveillance video shows three vehicles circling the parking lot before a white Toyota Tacoma barrels through the storefront, shattering glass and sending employees running.
    — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In fact, they aren’t made of glass at all; they’re made of polycarbonate, a plastic material that mimics the look of a wonky funhouse reflector, to prevent people from shattering the surface and using broken shards as weapons.
    — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of shattering
Verb
  • The former Cup champion finished third, overcoming a speeding-on-pit-road penalty and other drama en route to that result.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 Oct. 2026
  • In that interview, Williams discussed growing up in New York, overcoming adversity and the importance of treating others with kindness.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of overcoming
Adjective
  • Seven strangers from different countries and backgrounds are forced to compete in a deadly game, each facing a different mission to rescue a loved one.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • At least 84 people remained missing in one of the deadliest shipwrecks yet on the popular but perilous crossing from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula, where many migrants seek work in rich Gulf nations.
    — JAMEY KEATEN, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of deadly

Browse Nearby Words

devastates
devastating
devastation
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Devastating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastating. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All