ravaged
Americanadjective
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing ravaged
This Week in Words: September 4 - 8, 2017
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This Week in Words: March 17- 23, 2018
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Salt to the Sea
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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.
Ravaged by typhoid from unsanitary water supplies, Uppingham, a boarding school in Rutland in the east midlands, had to relocate its 300 students.
From BBC • Dec. 25, 2023
Ravaged by injuries and virus-related absences, Washington’s faint playoff hopes came to an end with a home loss that felt more like Lincoln Financial Field because of all the Eagles fans in attendance.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 2, 2022
Ravaged by injuries and virus-related absences, Washington's faint playoff hopes came to an end with a home loss that felt more like Lincoln Financial Field because of all the Eagles fans in attendance.
From Fox News • Jan. 2, 2022
Ravaged by COVID-19, their previous game was moved to Tuesday, giving them only four days of rest.
From Washington Post • Dec. 26, 2021
Ravaged all, Bogc tabal Timore toron Totoo now gone.
From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry
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.
