devastate
verb
dev·as·tate
| \ ˈde-və-ˌstāt
\
\
devastated;
devastating
Definition of devastate
1
: to bring to ruin or desolation by violent action
a country devastated by war The typhoon devastated the island.
2
: to reduce to chaos, disorder, or helplessness : overwhelm
devastated by grief Her wisecrack devastated the class.
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Other Words from devastate
devastation
\ ˌde-və-ˈstā-shən
\
noun
\
noun
devastative
\ ˈde-və-ˌstā-tiv
\
adjective
\
adjective
devastator
\ ˈde-və-ˌstā-tər
\
noun
\
noun
Examples of devastate in a Sentence
The flood devastated the town.
The disease has devastated the area's oak tree population.
The hurricane left the island completely devastated.
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Recent Examples on the Web
An influx of cheap, Chinese copycat fabric in uniquely African designs—combined with insecurity and instability in the region—devastated its textile industry and its economy at large. — Sangeeta Singh-kurtz, Quartzy, "Governments are taking cultural appropriation to court," 28 Aug. 2019 Albert’s passing devastated the queen, who famously donned mourning clothes for the remainder of her reign. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "Thousands of Unseen Photographs, Documents Digitized for Prince Albert’s 200th Birthday," 26 Aug. 2019 The slave trade devastated communities, and many never recovered. — USA Today, "Were Wanda Tucker’s ancestors America’s first slaves? A difficult search for answers in far-away Angola," 22 Aug. 2019 My trust in him is broken, and I’m devastated at his behavior. — Abigail Van Buren, Twin Cities, "Dear Abby: Husband betrays wife’s trust by posting nude photos of her," 21 Aug. 2019 My trust in him is broken, and I’m devastated at his behavior. — Dear Abby, oregonlive.com, "Dear Abby: Husband posts wife’s nude photos online and trust is lost in a flash," 21 Aug. 2019 Countries such as El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala would be devastated, sending a new flood of refugees streaming toward our border. — Michael Tanner, National Review, "Trump’s Trade Critics Don’t Offer Better Options," 21 Aug. 2019 Vieques, by contrast, was more devastated, but most businesses have bounced back, especially along the Malecon, the promenade that volunteers rallied to rebuild along the waterfront in the town of Esperanza. — Kathleen Squires, Condé Nast Traveler, "What to Expect Traveling in Post-Hurricane Puerto Rico," 20 Aug. 2019 My trust in him is broken, and I’m devastated at his behavior. — Dear Abby, SFChronicle.com, "Dear Abby: Husband betrays wife’s trust by posting nude photos of her," 19 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'devastate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for devastate
devastate
verb
English Language Learners Definition of devastate
: to destroy much or most of (something) : to cause great damage or harm to (something)
: to cause (someone) to feel extreme emotional pain
See the full definition for devastate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
devastate
verb
dev·as·tate
| \ ˈde-və-ˌstāt
\
\
devastated;
devastating
Kids Definition of devastate
1
: to destroy entirely or nearly entirely
The forest was devastated by fire.
2
: to cause to suffer emotionally
He was devastated by the loss.
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