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

As any Martian rover will tell you, the surface of the Red Planet is a cold, barren wasteland. —Michael Irving, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2024

What remained was a flattened wasteland of scattered cinder blocks, twisted rebar, and slabs of concrete jutting out of debris at awkward angles. —Rania Abouzeid, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024

Entire families have been erased, with many neighborhoods reduced to wastelands of thick sewage pools. —Abeer Salman, CNN, 19 Oct. 2024

Retail almost seems like a wasteland except for Walmart and perhaps Club name Costco . —Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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