devastate
/ˈdɛv.ə.steɪt/
DƐV · ə · steɪt (3 syllables)
English
Verb Top 36,237
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Definition
To ruin many or all things over a large area, such as most or all buildings of a city, or cities of a region, or trees of a forest.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin dēvastātus, perfect passive participle of dēvastō (“to lay waste, devastate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)); from dē- (augmentative prefix) + vastō (“to destroy, lay waste”). See vast. First attested in 1638.
Example Sentences
- "Halifax in Canada was devastated by a ship exploding in 1917. SS Mont Blanc, a French vessel loaded with 2.9 kilotons of explosives, collided with the Imo."
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