Word
wasteland
Phoneticswaste·land, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈweɪstˌɫænd/
UK/wˈeɪstlənd/
Definitions
01devastated or barren land
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. an empty area of land where nothing grows or where everything has been destroyed.
n. a barren, often devastated region that is uninhabitable or lacks natural resources.
“After the long drought, the once green fields turned into a dusty wasteland.”
“The treaty created a buffer zone that, after decades of neglect and conflict, had become a desolate wasteland where few species could survive.”
Synonyms
02metaphorical lack of quality
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Literary
n. a place, time, or situation that has no new ideas, culture, or interest.
n. a metaphorical void characterized by a lack of intellectual, aesthetic, or cultural merit.
“He complained that modern television had become a cultural wasteland of reality shows.”
“Critics often dismissed the mid-century architectural period as an aesthetic wasteland, though modern scholars have recently begun to re-evaluate its functionalist merits.”
03unused urban land
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. an area of land in a city that is not being used and is often ugly or covered in trash.
n. an area of urban or industrial land that is currently uncultivated, neglected, or derelict.
“The kids used the urban wasteland behind the factory as a makeshift playground.”
“The city council proposed a redevelopment plan to transform the industrial wasteland along the river into a vibrant public park.”
Synonyms
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English wast lond, modification of earlier weste lond, from Old English weste land (“wasteland”); equivalent to waste + land.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/wasteland