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Definition of wasteland

wasteland

/ˈweɪst.lænd/
waste · land
Plural:wastelands
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wasteland Lexical Profile

wasteland Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

An uncultivated, barren, or desolate expanse of land that is unable to support significant vegetation or human habitation, or that has been severely degraded by natural disasters or industrial activity.

Example

"Decades ofstrip mining and chemical runoff transformed the once-fertile valley into a barren wasteland."

2

A place, environment, or sphere of activity considered to be spiritually, intellectually, or culturally barren and devoid of value or vitality.

Example

"Media critics of the era frequently dismissed daytime television as a cultural wasteland."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Nearby Words

wasteful
wastefully
wastefulness
wasteland
wasteless
wastepaper
waster

Word Origin & Etymology

Formed in Middle English as a compound of 'waste' (from Old Northern French 'wast', ultimately from Latin 'vastus', meaning 'empty' or 'desolate') and 'land' (from Old English 'land'). Its figurative sense of spiritual or cultural emptiness was popularized in the 20th century by T. S. Eliot's 1922 poem 'The Waste Land'.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Wasteland. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/wasteland
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