Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

devastation

/ˌdɛ.vəˈsteɪ.ʃən/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.34 in modern English

Syllables: dev-as-ta-tion
IPA: /ˌdɛ.vəˈsteɪ.ʃən/

15

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

4

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The act of devastating, or the state of being devastated; a laying waste.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Waste or misapplication of the assets of a deceased person by an executor or administrator; devastavit.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Perhaps as startling as the sheer toll was the devastation to some of the state’s well-known locales. Boardwalks along the beach in Seaside Heights, Belmar and other towns on the Jersey Shore were blown away. Amusement parks, arcades and restaurants all but vanished. Bridges to barrier islands buckled, preventing residents from even inspecting the damage to their property."

Etymology

From Middle French dévastation.

Origin

Source language: Middle French

Word Breakdown

Root: dévastation

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌdɛ.vəˈsteɪ.ʃən/
British English: /ˌdɛ.vəˈsteɪ.ʃn̩/

Usage

Inflected Forms

devastations (plural)

Derived Forms

devastational

Synonyms

devastavit havoc destruction ravaging desolation

Rhymes With

information education situation population station association administration operation organization nation location application

Questions

How do you pronounce devastation?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌdɛ.vəˈsteɪ.ʃən/.
What does devastation mean?: The act of devastating, or the state of being devastated; a laying waste.
Where does devastation come from?: It is traced to Middle French.

How to pronounce devastation

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “devastation”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌdɛ.vəˈsteɪ.ʃən/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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