devastating
Causing total destruction
Devastating describes something that causes severe damage, destruction, or emotional distress.
A devastating earthquake levels buildings; a devastating loss leaves someone grief-stricken.
The word often emphasizes completeness—a devastating critique thoroughly dismantles an argument.
In casual use, devastating can mean stunningly impressive: She looked devastating in that dress.
Causing severe destruction
- catastrophicCausing complete destruction
- cataclysmicViolently destructive in scale
- annihilatingDestroying utterly and completely
- obliteratingDestroying beyond recognition
decimating · ravaging · demolishing · wrecking · leveling · razing · pulverizing · flattening
Causing intense emotional anguish
- soul-crushingDestroying one's inner spirit
- shatteringBreaking violently apart
- gut-wrenchingCausing intense emotional anguish
- crushingOverwhelming in intensity
agonizing · harrowing · wrenching · painful · distressing · traumatic · grief-stricken · anguished
Breaking violently apart
- staggeringShockingly impressive or unsteady
- crushingOverwhelming in intensity
- overwhelmingIntensely excessive in force
- seismicRelating to ground tremors
earth-shattering · profound · severe · dire · far-reaching · sweeping · monumental · massive
Proving guilt conclusively
- scathingSeverely and bitingly critical
- witheringDrying and declining
- blisteringExtremely intense or severe
- searingBrowning with intense heat
eviscerating · excoriating · brutal · merciless · savage · cutting · incisive · piercing
Extremely impressive or beautiful
- strikingNoticeably impressive
- gorgeousStrikingly beautiful
- breathtakingAstonishingly beautiful or exciting
- dazzlingOverwhelmingly bright or impressive
ravishing · knockout · drop-dead · arresting · showstopping · smoldering · captivating · alluring
ruinous
Causing severe destruction
- catastrophicCausing complete destruction
- cataclysmicViolently destructive in scale
- annihilatingDestroying utterly and completely
obliterating · decimating · ravaging · demolishing · wrecking · leveling · razing · pulverizing · flattening · laying waste
heartbreaking
Causing intense emotional anguish
- soul-crushingDestroying one's inner spirit
- shatteringBreaking violently apart
- gut-wrenchingCausing intense emotional anguish
crushing · agonizing · harrowing · wrenching · painful · distressing · traumatic · grief-stricken · anguished · sorrowful
shattering
Breaking violently apart
- staggeringShockingly impressive or unsteady
- crushingOverwhelming in intensity
- overwhelmingIntensely excessive in force
seismic · earth-shattering · profound · severe · dire · far-reaching · sweeping · monumental · massive · colossal
damning
Proving guilt conclusively
- scathingSeverely and bitingly critical
- witheringDrying and declining
- blisteringExtremely intense or severe
searing · eviscerating · excoriating · brutal · merciless · savage · cutting · incisive · piercing · lethal
stunning
Extremely impressive or beautiful
- strikingNoticeably impressive
- gorgeousStrikingly beautiful
- breathtakingAstonishingly beautiful or exciting
dazzling · ravishing · knockout · drop-dead · arresting · showstopping · smoldering · captivating · alluring · irresistible
- emotional reactionsinspiring, moving, touching, heartwarming, chilling
- expressions of impactwow, boom, bam, pow, wham
- harshbiting, bitter, brutal, caustic, cruel
- overwhelmingoverwhelming, overpowering, crushing, engulfing, smothering
- volcano wordsactive, dormant, extinct, molten, eruptive
- destroyeddestroyed, demolished, annihilated, obliterated, decimated
devastatingconstructive
Promoting positive development
restorative · healing · preservative · protective · regenerative
devastatinguplifting
Emotionally encouraging
heartening · encouraging · comforting · reassuring · joyful
devastatingmild
Moderate in intensity
minor · trivial · negligible · slight · insignificant
- economic devastationSevere harm to an economy