wasteland
noun
waste·land
ˈwāst-ˌland 
also -lənd
1
: barren or uncultivated land
a desert wasteland
2
: an ugly often devastated or barely inhabitable place or area
3
: something (such as a way of life) that is spiritually and emotionally arid and unsatisfying
Synonyms
Examples of wasteland in a Sentence
The outskirts of the city became a grim industrial wasteland.
That part of the country is a cultural wasteland.
the vast wasteland of television
Recent Examples on the Web
The Vault-Tec bobbleheads pop up everywhere In the Fallout games, Vault-Tec bobbleheads can be found around the wasteland.
—
Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
Set in Southern California, now an irradiated wasteland, the game puts players in the shoes of a Vault Dweller, one of a group of many people who have lived underground in nuclear fallout shelters for generations since the bombs dropped in 2077.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2024
Elsewhere on the surface level, Maximus (Aaron Moten) is finding his way as a lowly soldier in the Brotherhood of the Steel – an Army-type organization committed to bettering the wasteland by collecting and preserving technology.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
Entire areas of Gaza have been reduced to wastelands.
—James Hider, NPR, 10 Apr. 2024
Kaila Austin wants to turn a contaminated wasteland that’s been polluted for nearly a century back into a lush expanse of nature for generations of Norwood Place residents to enjoy.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Mar. 2024
Ella Purnell stars as Lucy, an idealistic young woman born underground in a luxury fallout shelter, who knows nothing of the wasteland above.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Apr. 2024
The film stars Anya-Taylor Joy as wasteland warrior princess Imperator Furiosa, a role originally plated by Charlize Theron in the 2015 series reboot.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024
Presence is power in the barren wasteland that is Antarctica.
—Elizabeth Buchanan, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2024
Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
Set in Southern California, now an irradiated wasteland, the game puts players in the shoes of a Vault Dweller, one of a group of many people who have lived underground in nuclear fallout shelters for generations since the bombs dropped in 2077.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2024
Elsewhere on the surface level, Maximus (Aaron Moten) is finding his way as a lowly soldier in the Brotherhood of the Steel – an Army-type organization committed to bettering the wasteland by collecting and preserving technology.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
Entire areas of Gaza have been reduced to wastelands.
—James Hider, NPR, 10 Apr. 2024
Kaila Austin wants to turn a contaminated wasteland that’s been polluted for nearly a century back into a lush expanse of nature for generations of Norwood Place residents to enjoy.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Mar. 2024
Ella Purnell stars as Lucy, an idealistic young woman born underground in a luxury fallout shelter, who knows nothing of the wasteland above.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Apr. 2024
The film stars Anya-Taylor Joy as wasteland warrior princess Imperator Furiosa, a role originally plated by Charlize Theron in the 2015 series reboot.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024
Presence is power in the barren wasteland that is Antarctica.
—Elizabeth Buchanan, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wasteland.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near wasteland
Cite this Entry
“Wasteland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wasteland. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wasteland
noun
waste·land
ˈwāst-ˌland
1
: land that is not cultivated or not fit for the cultivation of crops
2
: an ugly often ruined place or area
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