# devastating

Pronunciation: say "DEV-uh-stayt-ing" US/UK /ˈdɛv.ə.steɪt.ɪŋ/, AUS /ˈdev.ə.stæɪt.ɪŋ/

## Adjective

1. Causing severe or overwhelming damage, destruction, or distress.
   - Simple: Causing very serious damage, ruin, or great sadness.
   - _The earthquake had a devastating effect on the region's infrastructure._
   - _Her sudden resignation dealt a devastating blow to the campaign._

## Verb

2. Present participle and gerund of devastate. — present participle and gerund of devastate
   - Simple: Present participle and gerund of devastate. Use this -ing form for an action happening now or as the name of the action.
   - _The invasion is devastating the country's historic cities one by one._
   - _Devastating the local economy, the factory closures left thousands without work._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/devastating (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).