devastation
/ˌdɛvəˈsteɪʃn
/noun [mass noun]
1Great destruction or damage: the floods caused widespread devastation...
- Ivor Jones, a Liverpool-born pastor, likened the scenes to the devastation wrought in England by the Blitz.
- We finally manage to get to the heart of the eerie water delta where the devastation was appalling.
- He had also protected the only habitat of civilization from the devastation of the destructive angels.
Synonyms
destruction, ruin, desolation, depredation, waste, havoc, wreckage;
ruins, ravages
laying waste, destruction, wrecking, ruination, despoliation, ransacking, ravaging;
demolition, razing, levelling, flattening, annihilation
literary rape
shock, trauma, upheaval, distress, stress, strain, pain, anguish, suffering, upset, agony, misery, sorrow, grief, heartache, heartbreak, torture, traumatization
2Severe and overwhelming shock or grief: she spoke of her devastation at his death...
- There was no place for her to hide from her utter devastation.
- Time slows down in the wake of such personal devastations.
- Having seen atrocious loss in World War II, I understand the devastation of armed conflict.