Devastation
Devastation noun - The state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless.
Usage example: the sheer devastation of the housing development by the forest fire
Ruin is a synonym for devastation in destruction topic. In some cases you can use "Ruin" instead the word "Devastation" as a noun or a verb, when it comes to topics like help, state, waste, desolation. popular alternative
Ruin
Ruin noun - The state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless.
Usage example: a vicious bombardment that left the building in ruins
Devastation is a synonym for ruin in destruction topic. You can use "Devastation" instead a noun "Ruin", if it concerns topics such as help, state, waste, downfall. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
How words are described
Both words in one sentence
- Summary: Monsters attacking, young guardians having trouble in their first battle, my dragon and I carving a swathe of devastation and ruin in the attackers, and Artix slaying undead.
Source: Fanfic Recs / DragonFable - The sheer devastation his attack causes to Brockton Bay leaves the city a gang-ruled ruin that's vulnerable to various other superpowered threats.
Source: Knight Of Cerebus / Web Original - The amount of devastation caused in the various wars that take place throughout the series should ruin the terran and protoss abilities to wage war, but they're always ready to fight again no matter the conflict.
Cite this Source
Ruin and Devastation. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 03, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/devastation/ruin
Devastation & Ruin. N.p., 2016. Web. 03 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/devastation/ruin>.
Ruin or Devastation. 2016. Accessed August 03, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/devastation/ruin.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "devastation" and "ruin" have occurred on timeline