devastation
dev-uh-STAY-shun
/ˌdɛvəˈsteɪʃən/
Great destruction or damage; severe desolation and emotional distress.
Combines severe physical ruin with profound loss or grief.
The story behind the word. From Latin devastatio, from devastare meaning 'to lay waste completely'. The prefix de- acts as an intensifier attached to vastare ('to make empty' or 'lay waste'), emphasizing total, unsparing ruin.
Word relationships
- destruction: Destruction refers to the physical tearing down of objects, whereas devastation emphasizes widespread ruin and emptiness.
- ruin: Ruin can describe a process of decline over time, while devastation often happens rapidly in a single event.
- restoration: The act of returning something to a former good or complete condition.
Commonly confused with
- desolation: Desolation stresses emptiness and solitude, while devastation stresses active destruction and lay waste.
Word family
- devastate (verb): To destroy or ruin completely.
- devastating (adjective): Causing severe shock or ruin.
- devastatingly (adverb): In a devastating manner.
Collocations
- widespread devastation
- scene of devastation
- cause devastation
- total devastation
Example sentences
- "Images taken from the air revealed total devastation across the coastal region hit by the tsunami." Post-disaster news coverage
- "The unexpected closure of the family business caused deep emotional devastation for the whole neighborhood." Personal narrative
Memory hook
DEVASTATION: DE-VAST-ATION leaves a VAST empty space of ruin. Total destruction and ruin.
When not to use
Do not use for slight cosmetic damage or minor inconvenience.
Fun facts
- The root word 'vastus' gives us both 'vast' (enormous) and 'waste' (empty land), illustrating how devastation turns big areas into wasteland.
Related words
Explore more words
desolation, desolate, ruin, despair, inconsolable, despondent
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