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
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 The flooding continued to devastate the area Wednesday with rushing water reaching Montana's largest city. 
Hannah Phillips, USA TODAY, 15 June 2022 Avian influenza, which can devastate chicken flocks, has had a major impact on the output of farms worldwide. Bloomberg News, oregonlive, 31 May 2022 Otters eat sea urchins, which can devastate kelp forests. Tara Duggan, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 May 2022 Two hundred fifty million dollars would buy 5,000 Switchblade drones, which could devastate landing craft, armored vehicles, and small assault ships. Roger Wicker, WSJ, 4 May 2022 Requests for their return have mainly fallen upon deaf ears, as cultural institutions assert that returns would devastate their collections, or that the objects could not be adequately cared for elsewhere. Annalisa Bolin, Longreads, 28 July 2022 Half of the new commercial is a repeat of arguments Democrats made in 2018: That Stefanowski’s tax plan would devastate state services. Hartford Courant, 14 July 2022 The collaborative said dumping the water would devastate the industry, and the local economy along with it. Jennifer Mcdermott, ajc, 9 Apr. 2022 The collaborative said dumping the water would devastate the industry, and the local economy along with it. Jennifer Mcdermott, chicagotribune.com, 9 Apr. 2022 See More
Hannah Phillips, USA TODAY, 15 June 2022 Avian influenza, which can devastate chicken flocks, has had a major impact on the output of farms worldwide. Bloomberg News, oregonlive, 31 May 2022 Otters eat sea urchins, which can devastate kelp forests. Tara Duggan, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 May 2022 Two hundred fifty million dollars would buy 5,000 Switchblade drones, which could devastate landing craft, armored vehicles, and small assault ships. Roger Wicker, WSJ, 4 May 2022 Requests for their return have mainly fallen upon deaf ears, as cultural institutions assert that returns would devastate their collections, or that the objects could not be adequately cared for elsewhere. Annalisa Bolin, Longreads, 28 July 2022 Half of the new commercial is a repeat of arguments Democrats made in 2018: That Stefanowski’s tax plan would devastate state services. Hartford Courant, 14 July 2022 The collaborative said dumping the water would devastate the industry, and the local economy along with it. Jennifer Mcdermott, ajc, 9 Apr. 2022 The collaborative said dumping the water would devastate the industry, and the local economy along with it. Jennifer Mcdermott, chicagotribune.com, 9 Apr. 2022 See More 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 ˈde-və-ˌstāt
devastated; devastating
1
: to destroy entirely or nearly entirely
The forest was devastated by fire.
2
: to cause to suffer emotionally He was devastated by the loss.
devastate
verb
1
as in to ravage
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action the city was devastated, first by the earthquake and then by fires Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- ravage
- destroy
- ruin
- scourge
- overwhelm
- obliterate
- decimate
- plunder
- despoil
- wreck
- shatter
- eradicate
- desolate
- pillage
- annihilate
- vaporize
- extirpate
- demolish
- sack
- expunge
- wrack
- strip
- nuke
- harry
- extinguish
- loot
- waste
- wipe out
- smash
- foray
- total
- overpower
- maraud
- raze
- mow
- overrun
- overthrow
- rub out
- crush
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- restore
- recover
- rehabilitate
- redeem
- repair
- fix
- recondition
- patch
- mend
- revamp
2
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of the explosion devastated an entire city block Synonyms & Similar Words
- destroy
- ruin
- demolish
- shatter
- wreck
- smash
- damage
- decimate
- overcome
- ravage
- waste
- annihilate
- erode
- cripple
- mar
- pulverize
- vaporize
- desolate
- raze
- extinguish
- total
- wrack
- nuke
- kill
- tear down
- dismantle
- injure
- defeat
- crush
- cream
- pull down
- subdue
- impair
- best
- spoil
- harm
- blast
- do in
- break
- rub out
- remove
- disfigure
- disintegrate
- conquer
- deteriorate
- obliterate
- mutilate
- clobber
- surmount
- eradicate
- master
- mangle
- rout
- vitiate
- lick
- wallop
- dissolve
- dynamite
- trim
- deface
- trounce
- despoil
- exterminate
- undo
- overbear
- scour
- assassinate
- thrash
- whip
- gut
- overmatch
- beat
- slaughter
- extirpate
- havoc
- unmake
- trample
- expunge
- liquidate
- pillage
- slay
- plunder
- scotch
- blow up
- disassemble
- skunk
- efface
- murder
- drub
- dilapidate
- wash out
- fell
- sack
- wipe out
- take down
- blot out
- massacre
- vandalize
- execute
- zap
- cut down
- prevail (over)
- loot
- win (against)
- triumph (over)
- dispatch
- unbuild
- trash
- kill off
- butcher
- sweep (away)
- take out
- wear (away)
- snuff (out)
- root (out)
- stamp (out)
- mow (down)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- build
- construct
- raise
- create
- repair
- erect
- fix
- make
- produce
- protect
- set up
- patch
- rear
- mend
- invent
- establish
- constitute
- preserve
- form
- save
- found
- manufacture
- assemble
- shape
- forge
- organize
- restore
- revamp
- recondition
- fabricate
- bring about
- conserve
- rebuild
- mold
- reconstruct
- institute
- frame
- put up
- fashion
- doctor
- father
- renovate
- remodel
3
as in to overwhelm
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress we were devastated by the awful news of his death Synonyms & Similar Words
- overwhelm
- overcome
- oppress
- overpower
- crush
- disturb
- whelm
- swamp
- drown
- prostrate
- floor
- rock
- shatter
- overmaster
- snow under
- defeat
- grind (down)
- upset
- unnerve
- demoralize
- sink
- deluge
- refute
- stagger
- distress
- throw
- confute
- unman
- break
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of devastate are despoil, pillage, ravage, sack, and waste. While all these words mean "to lay waste by plundering or destroying," devastate implies the complete ruin and desolation of a wide area.
an earthquake devastated the city
While the synonyms despoil and devastate are close in meaning, despoil applies to looting or robbing without suggesting accompanying destruction.
the Nazis despoiled the art museums
Pillage implies ruthless plundering at will but without the completeness suggested by sack.
settlements pillaged by Vikings
The words ravage and devastate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ravage implies violent often cumulative depredation and destruction.
a hurricane ravaged the coast
Although the words sack and devastate have much in common, sack implies carrying off all valuable possessions from a place.
barbarians sacked ancient Rome
While in some cases nearly identical to devastate, waste may imply producing the same result by a slow process rather than sudden and violent action.
years of drought had wasted the area