devastating
word · lemma: devastate
/ˈdɛvəˌsteɪtɪŋ/
DEV-uh-stay-ting
/dˈɛvəstˌeɪtɪŋ/
DEV-uh-stay-ting
Definition
Causing great damage, destruction, or strong emotional pain; extremely harmful or upsetting.
Usage & Nuances
Mostly used in serious or emotional contexts, both for physical events (like disasters) and strong emotional impact ('devastating news', 'devastating effect'). Often appears before nouns. Not usually used for minor problems.
Spanish: devastador - arrasadorPortuguese (BR): devastador - arrasadorPortuguese (PT): devastador - arrasadorChinese (Simplified): 毁灭性的 - 令人震惊的Chinese (Traditional): 毀滅性的 - 令人震驚的Hindi: विनाशकारी - तबाही लाने वालाArabic: مدمّر - ساحقBengali: বিধ্বংসী - প্রচণ্ড ধ্বংসাত্মক - চরমভাবে কষ্টদায়কRussian: разрушительный - сокрушительныйJapanese: 壊滅的な - 圧倒的なVietnamese: tàn khốc - hủy diệt - gây tổn thương sâu sắcKorean: 처참한 - 충격적인 - 파괴적인Turkish: yıkıcı - tahrip edici - sarsıcıUrdu: تباہ کن - انتہائی تکلیف دہIndonesian: menghancurkan - sangat merusak - memilukan
Example Sentences
The earthquake had a devastating effect on the city.
basic
She received the devastating news yesterday.
basic
The flood caused devastating damage to the farms.
basic
It was devastating to hear that my friend was moving away.
natural
That was a devastating loss for the team.
natural
Her words were so devastating that he didn’t know how to respond.
natural