devastate
Americanverb (used with object)
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devastates,
present (3rd person singular)
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devastated,
past participle, past
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devastating
present participle
-
to lay waste; render desolate.
The invaders devastated the city.
-
to overwhelm, as with grief or dismay: Those rumors appeared to have devastated her.
We are devastated by this news and deeply saddened by the unexpected loss of our friend.
Those rumors appeared to have devastated her.
verb
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to lay waste or make desolate; ravage; destroy
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to confound or overwhelm, as with grief or shock
Synonym Usage
See ravage.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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devastatesimple
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devastatessimple
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have devastatedperfect
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has devastatedperfect
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am devastatingprogressive
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are devastatingprogressive
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is devastatingprogressive
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have been devastatingperfect progressive
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has been devastatingperfect progressive
Past
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devastatedsimple
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had devastatedperfect
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was devastatingprogressive
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were devastatingprogressive
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had been devastatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of devastate
First recorded in 1630–40; from Latin dēvastātus “laid waste” (past participle of dēvastāre ), equivalent to dē- + vast(āre) “to lay waste” (akin to vastus “empty”) + -ātus; see origin at de-, waste ( def. ), -ate 1
Explanation
If a storm devastates your town, it comes pretty close to destroying it. To devastate is to cause destruction to or overwhelm. Really bad news can devastate a person, or leave them devastated. They are so upset, they feel crushed. A basketball team can devastate an opponent by running roughshod over their defense. The root of the word is the Latin vastare which means to lay waste, which comes from vastus meaning desolate or empty. Imagine a city laid waste after a major earthquake and you've got the picture!
Vocabulary lists containing devastate
List 5
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Divergent
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Tears of a Tiger
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
For months, Uber and lawyers from across the state poured tens of millions into dueling ballot measures that threatened to devastate the profits of whichever side lost.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
Hibbs said: "Natural England's approach will devastate the Dartmoor hill pony population, it will make farms financially unviable and it's extremely doubtful there will be any environmental benefit."
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
The arrival of a potentially powerful El Nino weather system this year could devastate coral reefs around the world already weakened by back-to-back rounds of bleaching, scientists warn.
From Barron's ● May 22, 2026
If both spouses eventually need care, the numbers can devastate even substantial nest eggs.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 27, 2026
We did not want to destroy the country before we freed it, and to drive the whites away would devastate the nation.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
It’s a burden that not only devastates families financially but also takes a toll on their health.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 23, 2026
After a comet devastates most of civilization in the first movie, Gerard Butler returns to lead an especially hardy family of survivors into a bold new future.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2026
Describing drought as a "silent killer" which "creeps in, drains resources, and devastates lives in slow motion" the report said it had exacerbated issues like poverty and ecosystem collapse.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2025
“I think it’s that scarring, mental-health-wise. It just really devastates a person in a way they can’t come back from.”
From New York Times ● Jun. 6, 2024
Agricultural societies are ravaged by famine when drought, fire or earthquake devastates the annual rice or potato crop.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
“Such a system would help ensure that no one is financially devastated by a serious illness or injury.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
They found their garden, which had been Robin's project, was also devastated, while neighbouring properties had been saved.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Those who grew up watching Panettiere light up screens both big and small were devastated.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026
In the most devastated areas, workers are using heavy machinery to remove pieces of roofs and walls.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
If it’s a rejection email, I’ll be devastated.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Multiple waves of intense heat, fuelled by climate change, have sparked devastating droughts and wildfires in several European countries this year, cut crop yields and contributed to more than 25,000 excess deaths.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
The details were blacked out as the district attorney continues an investigation into the devastating fire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Jamal Juma, a Palestinian activist for the Stop the Wall campaign, who lives in Jerusalem, said the project would have a devastating impact on Palestinians.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
We require drivers to carry insurance because accidents can impose devastating costs on other people.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Tokyo has already suffered one of the most devastating earthquakes in modern times.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
