she was devastated

USAGE SUMMARY

The sentence 'she was devastated' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it any time to indicate that someone felt emotionally shocked and overwhelmed in response to something unpleasant. For example: When Mary heard the news that her mother had passed away, she was devastated.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

She was devastated.

The New York Times - Sports

"She was devastated," Zucco said.

The New York Times - Sports

You bet she was devastated.

The Guardian

"Nobody came and she was devastated.

The New York Times

"She was devastated when it first happened.

Independent

Ms. Barkus said she was devastated.

The New York Times

As friends tell it, she was devastated.

The New York Times

She didn't win, and she was devastated.

The New York Times - Books

In the end, she was devastated.

The New York Times - Magazine

When her father died in early January, she was devastated.

The New York Times

"She was devastated when it first happened," Flack said.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "she was devastated" to express a profound emotional reaction to negative news, loss, or disappointment. It's impactful but avoid overusing it to maintain its strength.

Common error

Be mindful not to use "she was devastated" for minor inconveniences. Reserve it for situations that genuinely cause significant emotional distress to maintain credibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "she was devastated" functions as a statement expressing the emotional state of a female subject. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability in diverse written contexts. It serves to convey that the subject experienced intense emotional shock and overwhelm in response to an unpleasant situation, as demonstrated by various examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

86%

Formal & Business

7%

Science

7%

Less common in

Wiki

2%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "she was devastated" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase to describe a woman's profound emotional distress following a negative event. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage. The phrase appears most often in News & Media, suggesting its role in conveying personal impact in reporting. While impactful, it's essential to reserve this phrase for situations of genuine emotional distress to maintain its credibility. Alternative phrases like "she was heartbroken" or "she was crushed" can offer nuanced expressions of similar feelings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

She was heartbroken

Replaces "devastated" with "heartbroken", emphasizing deep emotional pain.

She was crushed

Uses "crushed" to indicate a feeling of being overwhelmed and defeated by sadness.

She was deeply saddened

Employs a more formal tone with "deeply saddened", suggesting profound sorrow.

She was grief-stricken

Indicates intense sorrow and mourning, often associated with loss.

She was overwhelmed with grief

Highlights the intensity of the sorrow by stating she was overwhelmed.

She felt utterly despondent

Uses "utterly despondent" to convey a sense of hopelessness and despair.

She was in despair

Shortens the phrase to focus on the state of being in despair.

She was inconsolable

Indicates that she could not be comforted or cheered up.

She was shattered

Uses "shattered" to describe the feeling of being broken into pieces emotionally.

She was emotionally wrecked

Emphasizes the emotional damage suffered by using "emotionally wrecked".

FAQs

How can I use "she was devastated" in a sentence?

You can use "she was devastated" to describe someone's emotional state after a significant disappointment or loss. For example, "When she learned her application was rejected, "she was devastated"."

What can I say instead of "she was devastated"?

You can use alternatives like "she was heartbroken", "she was crushed", or "she was deeply saddened" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "she was devastated" or "she is devastated"?

"She was devastated" indicates a past emotional state, while "she is devastated" describes her current emotional state. Choose the tense that accurately reflects the timing of the event and her feelings.

What's the difference between "she was devastated" and "she was sad"?

"She was devastated" implies a much stronger emotional impact than "she was sad". "Devastated" suggests a state of being overwhelmed by grief or disappointment, while "sad" is a more general term for unhappiness.