pillage

[pil-ij]

verb (used with object)

pillaged, pillaging 

1. to strip ruthlessly of money or goods by open violence, as in war; plunder.

   The barbarians pillaged every conquered city.

   Synonyms: rape, despoil, spoil, sack, rob

2. to take as booty.

verb (used without object)

pillaged, pillaging 

1. to rob with open violence; take booty.

   Soldiers roamed the countryside, pillaging and killing.

noun

1. the act of plundering, especially in war.

   Synonyms: spoliation, depredation, rapine

2. booty or spoil.

   Synonyms: plunder

pillage

/ ˈpɪlɪdʒ /

verb

1. to rob (a town, village, etc) of (booty or spoils), esp during a war

noun

1. the act of pillaging

2. something obtained by pillaging; booty

Other Word Forms

• pillager noun
• unpillaged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pillage¹

1350–1400; Middle English pilage ( pill ³, -age ), modeled on Middle French pillage (derivative of piller to pillage, originally, to abuse, mistreat, tear, of uncertain origin)

Word History and Origins

Origin of pillage¹

C14: via Old French from piller to despoil, probably from peille rag, from Latin pīleus felt cap

Example Sentences

Verres ransacked Sicily’s Greek temples and pillaged the homes of Roman citizens.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Another, less grand perhaps, is the closeness of a community like Fairfax, where people volunteer their time to keep their facility open, while serial fraudsters are indicted for pillaging hospitals and overbilling the government.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The so-called “treasures of the seas” aren’t going to be pillaged without our help, and I soon find myself improvising sea shanties and engaging in a game of liar’s dice.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Islamic State was finally pushed out in 2018, but Assad’s forces, including regular military units and allied factions, pillaged whatever hadn’t been destroyed, even setting fires inside homes to pop tiles off of walls.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He argues that America has been taken advantage of by "cheaters", and "pillaged" by foreigners.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• desecrate 
• loot 
• maraud 
• pilfer 
• ransack 
• ravage