ravage

[ rav-ij ]

verb (used with object)

, rav·aged, rav·ag·ing.

1. to work havoc upon; damage or mar by ruinous or destructive action:

   a face ravaged by grief.

   Synonyms: sack, pillage, plunder, despoil, ruin

   Antonyms: repair, build

verb (used without object)

, rav·aged, rav·ag·ing.

1. to work havoc; do ruinous damage.

noun

1. havoc; ruinous damage:

   the ravages of war.

2. devastating or destructive action.

   Synonyms: desolation, waste, ruin

   Antonyms: creation

ravage

/ ˈrævɪdʒ /

verb

1. to cause extensive damage to

noun

1. often plural destructive action

   the ravages of time

Derived Forms

• ˈravagement, noun
• ˈravager, noun

Other Words From

• rav·age·ment noun
• rav·ag·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ravage¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from French, Middle French, equivalent to rav(ir) “to snatch away, ravish” + -age -age ( def ); ravish

Word History and Origins

Origin of ravage¹

C17: from French, from Old French ravir to snatch away, ravish

Synonym Study

Ravage, devastate, lay waste all refer, in their literal application, to the wholesale destruction of a countryside by an invading army (or something comparable). Lay waste has remained the closest to the original meaning of destruction of land: The invading army laid waste the towns along the coast. But ravage and devastate are used in reference to other types of violent destruction and may also have a purely figurative application. Ravage is often used of the results of epidemics: The Black Plague ravaged 14th-century Europe; and even of the effect of disease or suffering on the human countenance: a face ravaged by despair. Devastate, in addition to its concrete meaning ( vast areas devastated by bombs ), may be used figuratively: a devastating remark.

Example Sentences

At one extreme is the multibillionaire Sackler family, now synonymous with the ravages of its company Purdue Pharma’s signature drug, OxyContin.

From Time

It’s no secret that aerobic exercise can help stave off some of the ravages of aging.

From Popular-Science

Her eyes had become wide open to the ravages of the mindset that forced people to conform to set roles or else cast them out if they didn’t fit in.

From Time

As Covid-19 ravages, India’s stance as a global aid giver has shifted to one of receiving aid.

From Quartz

Finally, there were no effective flu vaccines to rescue the world from the ravages of the disease.

From No Straight News

It also can ravage entire public health systems meant to bring children safely into the world.

From The Daily Beast

For soon after the capture of Berwick town, Bruce detached a strong force to ravage the northern counties.

From Project Gutenberg

The horrible ravage of the Revolution has much defaced this town.

From Project Gutenberg

It is that you will spare one house in Italy from ravage and destruction.

From Project Gutenberg

If he will live in cities, she has ready the ravage of consumption.

From Project Gutenberg

From the graves they have made they shall rise up never,Who have left nought living to ravage and rend.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• consume
• damage
• demolish
• devastate
• disrupt
• gut
• impair
• overrun
• overwhelm
• pillage
• plunder
• raze
• ruin
• shatter
• sweep away
• wreck