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

In a Texas border town wasteland, circa 2038, reading has been outlawed and a powerful big tech tycoon has forced all mothers to toil at a toxic fish cannery. —Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2025

Obviously this steal on a piece of what most might consider high desert wasteland isn’t for everyone. —Eric MacK, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024

Lucy is the do-gooder vault dweller, Maximus is the aspirant warrior, and The Ghoul is the wasteland rogue. —Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2024

Set ten years after Fallout 4, the show explores the wasteland of Los Angeles. —Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 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