noun

devastation

dev-uh-STAY-shun/ˌdevəˈsteɪʃn/

Overwhelming destruction or ruin.

Broken roofs and fallen trees reveal the storm's devastation along the street.

A storm-devastated street with damaged roofs and fallen trees, no injured people, no signs or writing.

Etymology

deLatincompletely

+vastLatinlay waste

+ationLatinaction or state

The pieces describe laying something completely waste, leaving it empty or desolate. In the emotional sense, that image of ruin expresses the overwhelming effect of shock or grief.

In context

Haris Kravvaritis30:56

I remembered vividly the great Bengal floods in 1943 the devastation misery and loss of life they caused

The Life and Times of Lord Mountbatten 09of12 The Last Viceroy

More examples

Rescue crews survey the devastation after the earthquake.
Years of war bring devastation to the region.
She struggles to describe her devastation at losing her son.

Forms

devastate verb — Cause severe destruction or overwhelming emotional pain.

Similar words

destruction: Names the act or result without necessarily implying overwhelming scale.
ruin: Emphasizes a collapsed condition, including financial or personal collapse.