Meanings
plural devastations
- countableuncountableThe act of devastating, or the state of being devastated; a laying waste.
1 more example
Perhaps as startling as the sheer toll was the devastation to some of the state’s well-known locales. Boardwalks along the beach in Seaside Heights, Belmar and other towns on the Jersey Shore were blown away. Amusement parks, arcades and restaurants all but vanished. Bridges to barrier islands buckled, preventing residents from even inspecting the damage to their property.
2012 October 31, David M. Halbfinger, “New Jersey continues to cope with Hurricane Sandy”, in New York Times, retrieved 31 Oct 2012 - countableuncountablelawWaste or misapplication of the assets of a deceased person by an executor or administrator; devastavit.
Synonyms: devastavit
Synonyms & antonyms
nounWaste or misapplication of the assets of a deceased person by an executor or administrator; devastavit.
More synonyms by meaning
nounplundering with excessive damage and destruction
nounthe termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Frenchdévastation
- Englishdevastation
From Middle French dévastation.
More words from Middle French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian опустоше́ние
- опустоше́ние (opustošénie)act of devastating or state of being devastated
Catalan devastació
- devastacióact of devastating or state of being devastated
Dutch verwoesting
- verwoestingact of devastating or state of being devastated
Finnish hävitys, tuho
- hävitysact of devastating or state of being devastated
- tuhoact of devastating or state of being devastated
French dévastation
- dévastationact of devastating or state of being devastated
German Verwüstung, Zerstörung
- Verwüstungact of devastating or state of being devastated
- Zerstörungact of devastating or state of being devastated
- Verwüstenact of devastating or state of being devastated
- Verheerenact of devastating or state of being devastated
- Verheerungact of devastating or state of being devastated
- Zunichtemachenact of devastating or state of being devastated
- Zerbrochenheitact of devastating or state of being devastated
- tiefe innere Erschütterungact of devastating or state of being devastated
Greek αφανισμός, συντριβή
- αφανισμός (afanismós)act of devastating or state of being devastated
- συντριβή (syntriví)act of devastating or state of being devastated
- καταστροφή (katastrofí)act of devastating or state of being devastated
Hindi नाश
- नाश (nāś)act of devastating or state of being devastated
Hungarian pusztulás, pusztítás
- pusztulásact of devastating or state of being devastated
- pusztításact of devastating or state of being devastated
Irish croíbhriseadh, buairt
- croíbhriseadhact of devastating or state of being devastated
- buairtact of devastating or state of being devastated
- uafásact of devastating or state of being devastated
- réabadhact of devastating or state of being devastated
- scriosact of devastating or state of being devastated
- léirscriosact of devastating or state of being devastated
- sladact of devastating or state of being devastated
- bánúact of devastating or state of being devastated
- bánúact of devastating or state of being devastated
Malay kehancuran, kemusnahan
- kehancuranact of devastating or state of being devastated
- kemusnahanact of devastating or state of being devastated
- penghancuranact of devastating or state of being devastated
- pemusnahanact of devastating or state of being devastated
Māori aneatanga, anea
- aneatangaact of devastating or state of being devastated
- aneaact of devastating or state of being devastated
Polish dewastacja
- dewastacjaact of devastating or state of being devastated
Portuguese devastação
- devastaçãoact of devastating or state of being devastated
Romanian devastare
- devastareact of devastating or state of being devastated
Russian опустоше́ние, разоре́ние
- опустоше́ние (opustošénije)act of devastating or state of being devastated
- разоре́ние (razorénije)act of devastating or state of being devastated
Spanish devastación, asolamiento
- devastaciónact of devastating or state of being devastated
- asolamientoact of devastating or state of being devastated
- arrasamientoact of devastating or state of being devastated
- quebrantoact of devastating or state of being devastated
Swedish ödeläggelse
- ödeläggelseact of devastating or state of being devastated
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with devastation
Cite this entry
devastation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/devastation
“devastation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/devastation. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “devastation,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/devastation.
Source: devastation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.