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

This began as a show about a stoic man slowly learning to let love into his life, reconsidering his personal definition of home in an apocalyptic wasteland. —Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 27 Oct. 2024

Now, the citadel wall looks out over a wasteland of rubble. —Raja Abdulrahim, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2024

The rest of the land, however, remains empty, an ugly patch of wasteland that couldn’t contrast more with the King Power Stadium that sits just a few hundred yards away. —Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 19 Aug. 2024

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

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