Meaning
Devastation means great destruction, damage, or suffering. It refers to the severe ruin caused by disasters, wars, or tragedies—both physical and emotional.
Grammar and Usage
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Part of speech: Noun
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Uncountable — usually not used in the plural form.
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Used with verbs like cause, bring, suffer, feel, or see.
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Common patterns:
- the devastation of [something]
- cause devastation in [place]
- feel devastation after [event]
Common Phrases
- natural devastation
- war-torn devastation
- emotional devastation
- cause massive devastation
- recover from devastation
Collocations
- cause devastation
- widespread devastation
- natural devastation
- economic devastation
- emotional devastation
- total devastation
Examples
- The earthquake caused widespread devastation across the region.
- The country is still recovering from the devastation of the war.
- She felt devastation after hearing the tragic news.
- Hurricanes can bring massive devastation to coastal areas.
- The forest fire left behind a scene of utter devastation.
- Economic sanctions led to devastation in the local communities.
- The photos captured the devastation after the tsunami.
- He spoke about the emotional devastation of losing a loved one.
- The government promised aid to rebuild after such devastation.
- Nothing could prepare them for the devastation that followed.
Synonyms or Related
- destruction
- ruin
- havoc
- desolation
- annihilation
- catastrophe
- disaster
Antonym
- recovery
- restoration
- rebuilding
- renewal