devastate

verb

dev·​as·​tate ˈde-və-ˌstāt 

devastated; devastating

transitive verb

1

: to bring to ruin or desolation by violent action

a country devastated by war

The typhoon devastated the island.

2

: to reduce to chaos, disorder, or helplessness : overwhelm

devastated by grief

Her wisecrack devastated the class.

devastation

ˌde-və-ˈstā-shən 

noun

devastative

ˈde-və-ˌstā-tiv 

adjective

devastator

ˈde-və-ˌstā-tər 

noun

Synonyms

• destroy
• ravage
• ruin
• scourge

Choose the Right Synonym for devastate

ravage, devastate, waste, sack, pillage, despoil mean to lay waste by plundering or destroying.

ravage implies violent often cumulative depredation and destruction.

a hurricane ravaged the coast

devastate implies the complete ruin and desolation of a wide area.

an earthquake devastated the city

waste may imply producing the same result by a slow process rather than sudden and violent action.

years of drought had wasted the area

sack implies carrying off all valuable possessions from a place.

barbarians sacked ancient Rome

pillage implies ruthless plundering at will but without the completeness suggested by sack.

settlements pillaged by Vikings

despoil applies to looting or robbing without suggesting accompanying destruction.

the Nazis despoiled the art museums

Examples of devastate in a Sentence

The flood devastated the town.

The disease has devastated the area's oak tree population.

The hurricane left the island completely devastated.

Recent Examples on the Web

Advertisement Malaria, yellow fever and other tropical diseases devastated a workforce already struggling with especially dangerous terrain and harsh working conditions in the jungle, eventually costing more than 20,000 lives by some estimates. —Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024

Extremes getting more extreme 2024 also saw a number of life-threatening disasters, from Hurricane Helene, which devastated parts of North Carolina and Florida, to powerful heat waves across the U.S. —Lauren Sommer, NPR, 24 Dec. 2024

Her mother was devastated by her prognosis: Audrey has a 30 to 40% chance of being cured, her mother told the Journal Sentinel. —Cathy Kozlowicz, Journal Sentinel, 23 Dec. 2024

Alcohol has devastated generations of Indigenous peoples in the Americas ever since it was introduced by colonizers. —Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 27 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin devastatus, past participle of devastare, from de- + vastare to lay waste — more at waste

First Known Use

1638, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

devastate

verb

dev·​as·​tate ˈdev-ə-ˌstāt 

devastated; devastating

1

: to reduce to ruin : lay waste

2

: overwhelm sense 2, overpower

devastated by grief

devastatingly

-ˌstāt-iŋ-lē 

adverb

devastation

ˌdev-ə-ˈstā-shən 

noun