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:
“Such reductions would devastate Arizona’s water users and its economy,” state officials warned.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
California and the 11 other states, including New York, New Jersey, Washington and Colorado, allege the merger would devastate the theatrical film business by combining two historic film studio rivals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
A row is growing over the potential cull of Dartmoor's hill ponies as campaigners warn Natural England's approach to conserving the landscape could "devastate" the endangered breed.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
Healthcare alone can devastate even carefully planned budgets.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 3, 2026
“It would devastate intelligence agencies across the globe,” he reasoned.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
It’s a burden that not only devastates families financially but also takes a toll on their health.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 23, 2026
However, this is a moment of real hope in a disease that hits people in their prime and devastates families.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2025
In the world of “The Last of Us,” a mysterious cordyceps outbreak in 2003 devastates humanity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 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
The news could never be ignored: An earthquake devastates Haiti.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
"Nan is sad and devastated really and had enjoyed living independently especially," she said.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
The strongest quake to hit the South American nation this century devastated the western cities of Cali and Pereira and destroyed nearly 13,000 homes across the coffee-growing region and along the coast.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Jacky Seagroatt, Malcolm King's younger sister, said losing her brother had "devastated" her.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Angie Wade, the tribal historic preservation officer for Chickaloon Village, one of the tribes involved in the lawsuit against the mine, said rampant mining has devastated Chickaloon areas in decades past.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
He was devastated when she died in 1687, and throughout the rest of his life was noticeably melancholic; 1687 was also a key year in the dispute with Newton, which can hardly have helped matters.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
But for residents who developed close relationships with the affected caregivers, he said, “it’s a personal, devastating loss.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Europe has been swept by weeks of devastating wildfires fuelled by dry conditions and a historically hot summer that has already contributed to the deaths of thousands of people.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Among Indonesia's history of deadly quakes is a devastating 9.1-magnitude tremor in 2004 that struck off the coast of Sumatra and triggered a tsunami that killed 220,000 throughout the region, including about 170,000 in Indonesia.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
Dr Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, described Jason Arday's death as "devastating".
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
The loss had been devastating to both Yuko and Kathy.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
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.
