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
In its place is a society whose remaining citizens are caught in a life and death struggle to stay alive in a wasteland born of rage and fear, populated by monstrous creatures and marauding armies.
—
Joe Otterson, Variety, 6 Feb. 2025
Today, the city is home to four wetland parks that look nothing like the wastelands there before.
—Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Feb. 2025
Gaza has become a wasteland of ruins and rubble due to Israel's conflict with Hamas following the terror organization's surprise attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
—Tom Soufi Burridge, ABC News, 24 Jan. 2025
The fate of his father and Silo offer an ominous blueprint for the story playing out across the wasteland in Silo 18, and time now ticks faster than ever for Juliet’s return.
—Zoe G. Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Jan. 2025
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Joe Otterson, Variety, 6 Feb. 2025
Today, the city is home to four wetland parks that look nothing like the wastelands there before.
—Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Feb. 2025
Gaza has become a wasteland of ruins and rubble due to Israel's conflict with Hamas following the terror organization's surprise attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
—Tom Soufi Burridge, ABC News, 24 Jan. 2025
The fate of his father and Silo offer an ominous blueprint for the story playing out across the wasteland in Silo 18, and time now ticks faster than ever for Juliet’s return.
—Zoe G. Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for wasteland
Dictionary Entries Near wasteland
Cite this Entry
“Wasteland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wasteland. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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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