devastated
adjective C1
Plain meaning
extremely upset or badly damaged
Exam-register meaning
In academic or exam writing, this is used to discuss extremely upset or badly damaged in a more precise way.
In context
naturalThe report described devastated community in a clear and practical way.
examThe findings show that devastated community can influence educational, social, or economic outcomes.
Common collocations
devastated communitydevastated by lossdevastated area
Watch out
Do not overuse it as a direct replacement for “good/bad”. Use it with natural nouns such as “devastated community”.