devastate

verb

ˈde-və-ˌstāt How to pronounce devastate (audio)
Definition of devastatenext
1
as in to ravage
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action the city was devastated, first by the earthquake and then by fires

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of the explosion devastated an entire city block

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to overwhelm
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress we were devastated by the awful news of his death

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb devastate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of devastate are despoil, pillage, ravage, sack, and waste. While all these words mean "to lay waste by plundering or destroying," devastate implies the complete ruin and desolation of a wide area.

an earthquake devastated the city

In what contexts can despoil take the place of devastate?

While the synonyms despoil and devastate are close in meaning, despoil applies to looting or robbing without suggesting accompanying destruction.

the Nazis despoiled the art museums

How are the words pillage and sack related as synonyms of devastate?

Pillage implies ruthless plundering at will but without the completeness suggested by sack.

settlements pillaged by Vikings

When would ravage be a good substitute for devastate?

The words ravage and devastate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ravage implies violent often cumulative depredation and destruction.

a hurricane ravaged the coast

Where would sack be a reasonable alternative to devastate?

Although the words sack and devastate have much in common, sack implies carrying off all valuable possessions from a place.

barbarians sacked ancient Rome

When is waste a more appropriate choice than devastate?

While in some cases nearly identical to devastate, waste may imply producing the same result by a slow process rather than sudden and violent action.

years of drought had wasted the area

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of devastate Non-consensually posted intimate images can devastate women – and beget male bonding. — Brittany Luse, NPR, 19 Oct. 2026 At home, the United States had defeated their armies, destroyed their infrastructure, retaken their territory, emancipated their enslaved, and devastated their economy and society into a catastrophic mess. — Literary Hub, 19 Oct. 2026 Tommasi Bardelle was devastated, but also determined to keep her husband’s vision alive. — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026 That’s because the two countries’ energy systems and markets are so intertwined that tariffs would devastate both economies. — Stefano Tijerina, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for devastate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devastate
  1. ravage
  2. destroy
  3. overwhelm
  4. ruin
  5. overcome
  6. demolish
  7. shatter
  8. wreck
Verb
  • Archaeologists in England have uncovered new remains at one of the country's oldest and largest medieval leprosy hospitals, hundreds of years after the disease ravaged communities across Britain.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The places where Baltzor typically ranges her cattle in the mountains were ravaged by record-size wildfires this summer, robbing them of the grass the herds usually eat.
    — Anna King, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of ravage
Verb
  • Cities outside Paris have been hit hard by the unrest, including Limoges where a fire nearly destroyed the 19th-century city hall.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Animal diseases also threaten our economy and food system, destroying more than 20% of global livestock production each year.
    — Robert Kelly, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • The president left office above water on the economy, with 48% approving and 41% disapproving — high numbers for a president whose last year was overwhelmed by the Covid pandemic.
    — Steve Liesman, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Economic recovery, the official argued, must accompany political reform to prevent a future democratic government from being overwhelmed by debt, failing infrastructure, shortages, inflation and insecurity.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of overwhelm
Verb
  • Burdick seemed to have drawn directly from McCarthy’s experience, the hopelessness of fighting with his father over a world his father had already ruined, the surrender to indulgence and mindless violence because…why not?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Each room is also outfitted with a Yale smart lock, which means there’s no room for that horrible feeling of losing a room key to ruin your vacation.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of ruin
Verb
  • Experts who are part of consultations expect the new policy to lay down clear and consistent rules, which will also help the industry overcome challenges around land acquisition and simplify a fragmented approval process.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The song addresses overcoming adversity and using others’ doubts to fuel your passion.
    — Melinda Newman, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of overcome
Verb
  • The building’s owner previously told The Star the building would not be demolished and that it could be redeveloped.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The 18-year-old female elephant got loose from her handler outside her enclosure, then went on the run, demolishing the door of a saloon on North Avenue, smashing in the window of another and walking through the fence around a vacant lot.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of demolish
Verb
  • In a country so small and intimately connected, scarcely anyone was untouched by events that shattered the assumptions of a people whose nation was founded to give Jews a safe haven in their ancestral homeland.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In fact, 2026 has already shattered the Biden-era record for the most number of days with $4 gas or higher.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of shatter
Verb
  • Just as Bryan’s own ascent began, alcoholism almost wrecked his fellow Oklahoma heroes, Turnpike Troubadours.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Some people make money, some people use the buzz to shore up a brand, and some people get their lives wrecked, but who falls into this last category comes down to bad luck more than to justice.
    — B. D. McClay, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of wreck

Browse Nearby Words

devaluing
devastate
devastated
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Cite this Entry

“Devastate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devastate. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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