devastate
verb /ˈdevəsteɪt/
/ˈdevəsteɪt/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they devastate | /ˈdevəsteɪt/ /ˈdevəsteɪt/ |
he / she / it devastates | /ˈdevəsteɪts/ /ˈdevəsteɪts/ |
past simple devastated | /ˈdevəsteɪtɪd/ /ˈdevəsteɪtɪd/ |
past participle devastated | /ˈdevəsteɪtɪd/ /ˈdevəsteɪtɪd/ |
-ing form devastating | /ˈdevəsteɪtɪŋ/ /ˈdevəsteɪtɪŋ/ |
- The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city.
- [often passive] devastate somebody to make somebody feel very shocked and sadTopics Feelingsc1
Word Originmid 17th cent.: from Latin devastat- ‘laid waste’, from the verb devastare, from de- ‘thoroughly’ + vastare ‘lay waste’.