DEVASTATING

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does devastating mean? 

• DEVASTATING (adjective)
  The adjective DEVASTATING has 3 senses:

1. making light of

2. wreaking or capable of wreaking complete destruction

3. physically or spiritually devastating; often used in combination

  Familiarity information: DEVASTATING used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DEVASTATING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Making light of

Synonyms:

annihilating; devastating; withering

Context example:

to compliments inflated I've a withering reply

Similar:

disrespectful (exhibiting lack of respect; rude and discourteous)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Wreaking or capable of wreaking complete destruction

Synonyms:

annihilating; annihilative; devastating; withering

Context example:

the guns opened a withering fire

Similar:

destructive (causing destruction or much damage)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Physically or spiritually devastating; often used in combination

Synonyms:

crushing; devastating

Context example:

bone-crushing

Similar:

destructive (causing destruction or much damage)

 Context examples 

This research provides new ideas and tools to find ways to prevent or reverse the abnormal gelling of FUS as a treatment for these devastating diseases.

(Mechanism behind neuron death in motor neurone disease and frontotemporal dementia discovered, University of Cambridge)

This lack of selectivity in directing anticancer drugs is the cause of the often devastating side effects that cancer patients experience during chemotherapy treatment.

(Scientists successfully deliver “Trojan horse” catalysts into cancerous tumour cells to destroy them from within, Universities of Granada)

These results may help provide clues to the discovery that the meninges in humans may heal following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and why additional hits to the head can be so devastating.

(Scientists watch the brain’s lining heal after a head injury, National Institutes of Health)

The researchers hope this research empowers thousands of at-risk people with a way to prevent these tumors from becoming a devastating disease.

(Study finds genetic link for rare intestinal cancer, NIH)

Excessive fire suppression might be devastating to the species that depend on natural savanna habitats, both in Brazil and in other regions of the world such as parts of Africa.

(Fire control harms biodiversity in Brazilian savannah, SciDev.Net)

Glioblastoma, a type of aggressive brain tumor, is one of the most devastating forms of cancer.

(Brain tumor invasion along blood vessels may lead to new cancer treatments, NIH)

However, when problems occur, the results can be devastating.

(Brain Diseases, NIH)

The loss of the ability to speak can have devastating effects on patients whose facial, tongue, and larynx muscles have been paralyzed due to stroke or other neurological conditions.

(Scientists translate brain signals into speech sounds, National Institutes of Health)

As a result, the drug was able to slow down progression of these potentially devastating conditions and it should be trialled in patients.

(Blood pressure drug shows promise for treating Parkinson’s and dementia in animal studies, University of Cambridge)

Plastic pollution is a devastating problem for marine life, with the UN Environment Programme estimating that about 8 million tonnes of plastic waste is dumped into the seas every year.

(Microplastic pollution adds to oceans’ problems, scidev.net)