ravaged

American  

[rav-ijd] / ˈræv ɪdʒd /

adjective

1. ruinously damaged or marred.

   After the war they were faced with a ravaged landscape and a deeply scarred population.

   Her heart contracted with pity when she saw the ravaged face and red, swollen eyes of her friend.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of ravage.

Other Word Forms

• unravaged adjective

Etymology

Origin of ravaged

First recorded in 1650–60; ravage ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective; ravage ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb

Explanation

When something is ravaged, it's ruined. A terrible fire could leave behind nothing but the ravaged remains of your house and possessions. Use the adjective ravaged when you describe something that's been wrecked, especially in a violent way. War tends to leave ravaged cities behind, and even a high wind can result in a ravaged back yard, strewn with tree branches. The French root of ravaged is ravager, "lay waste or devastate," which comes from the Old French ravage, "destroy," or most commonly, "destroy by flood."

Example Sentences

This week, as the crew of four astronauts lifted off to the moon for the first time in 54 years, they renewed the hopes of a ravaged nation.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

The last technological revolution ravaged the recorded music industry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Huntley said modular buildings are being built at the Thatcham nursery ravaged by the fire, which will have capacity for around 75 children.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

A Substack post imagining an economy ravaged by artificial intelligence caused a stir on social media Monday, highlighting the depth of investors’ concerns about the technology.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

We had just turned down one of many ravaged cleaning supply aisles when she gave my arm a tug.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken

Related Words

• broken
• demolished
• devastated
• lost
• ruined
• shattered
• smashed
• wrecked