devastate

[ dev-uh-steyt ]

/ ˈdɛv əˌsteɪt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR devastate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing.

to lay waste; render desolate: The invaders devastated the city.

to overwhelm.

Nearby words

devaluation, devaluationist, devalue, devanagari, devascularization, devastate, devastated, devastating, devastation, devein, devel.

Origin of devastate

1625–35; < Latin dēvastātus laid waste (past participle of dēvastāre), equivalent to dē- de- + vast(āre) to lay waste (akin to vastus empty) + -ātus -ate¹

Related formsdev·as·ta·tive, adjectivedev·as·ta·tor, nounun·dev·as·tat·ed, adjective

Synonym study

1. See ravage.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for devastate

Grotesque profiteering aside, life release ceremonies can devastate the eco-system.
The Buddhist Business of Poaching Animals for Good Karma|Brendon Hong|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for a new offensive, he could devastate Ukrainian forces.
Thousands of Putin’s Troops Now in Ukraine, Analysts Say|Shane Harris|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A Grad is a multiple rocket launcher designed to devastate a defined but extensive area.
MH17 Black Box ‘Sent to Moscow for Investigation’|Anna Nemtsova|July 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Kenneth recognizes the terrible truths of our existence: that gun violence will continue to devastate and degrade everyone.
If Gun Violence Is A Disease, These People Might Just Be The Cure|Moral Courage|April 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST

They'd devastate priorities like education, energy, and medical research.
Full Text and Video of President Obama's 2013 State of the Union Address|Justin Green|February 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It was this demand which opened the long struggle which was soon to devastate the country.
A Student's History of England, v. 1 (of 3)|Samuel R. Gardiner.
Let her arise, not to devastate and to conquer, but to reëstablish the reign of peace and law.
America First|Various
It can devastate the fields, and desolate the affections, and make cold both heart and home together!
The O'Donoghue|Charles James Lever
I fully understand the recent excitement of the Australians over the rabbit scourge which threatened to devastate their land.
Adopting An Abandoned Farm|Kate Sanborn
This is but a fair specimen of their conduct whenever they have been permitted to devastate the country with impunity.
A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital|John Beauchamp Jones

British Dictionary definitions for devastate

devastate

/ (ˈdɛvəˌsteɪt) /

verb (tr)

to lay waste or make desolate; ravage; destroy

to confound or overwhelm, as with grief or shock

Derived Formsdevastation, noundevastative, adjectivedevastator, noun

Word Origin for devastate

C17: from Latin dēvastāre, from de- + vastāre to ravage; related to vastus waste, empty

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for devastate

devastate

1630s, perhaps a back-formation from devastation. Apparently not common until 19c.; earlier verb form devast is attested from 1530s, from Middle French devaster. Related: devastated; devastating.

devastate

verb (used with object), dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing.

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Nearby words

Origin of devastate

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for devastate

British Dictionary definitions for devastate

devastate

verb (tr)

Word Origin for devastate

Word Origin and History for devastate

devastate