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
Large swaths of the area were left devastated by months of Israeli airstrikes and shelling, leaving a lawless wasteland dominated by street gangs.
—
Ben Shpigel, New York Times, 11 May 2024
Popular on Variety Shooting in a sand-dune wasteland, Taylor-Joy worked through most weekends during the six-and-a-half-month shoot.
—Ramin Setoodeh, Variety, 7 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for wasteland 
Ben Shpigel, New York Times, 11 May 2024
Popular on Variety Shooting in a sand-dune wasteland, Taylor-Joy worked through most weekends during the six-and-a-half-month shoot.
—Ramin Setoodeh, Variety, 7 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for wasteland
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.
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Cite this Entry
“Wasteland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wasteland. Accessed 29 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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