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

• barren
• desert
• desolation
• heath
• no-man's-land
• waste

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

To assign much depth to the interaction is to grasp at straws, desperate for gossip in a fresh-lavender-scented wasteland. —Alanna Bennett, refinery29.com, 14 Mar. 2025

Our tour guide for this near-apocalyptic wasteland is Michelle (Brown), a young woman who lost her parents and genius younger brother, Christopher (Woody Norman), in a car accident years ago. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025

Understandably, many of its remaining residents flee this wasteland. —Lauren Leblanc, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2025

This is going to give me the competitive advantage in the wasteland. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for wasteland

• ampersand
• beforehand
• behindhand
• bottomland
• contraband
• countermand
• dixieland
• fairyland
• fatherland
• firebrand
• hinterland
• motherland

Kids 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