Word
devastate
Meanings
to destroy or badly damage something, often on a large scale
to shock and upset someone deeply; to leave someone emotionally overwhelmed
Definition
To devastate means to destroy or badly damage something, or to shock and upset someone deeply.
To devastate is to cause severe destruction or damage to a place, system, or situation. It can also mean to make someone feel intensely shocked, heartbroken, or overwhelmed by bad news. The word suggests harm that is widespread or difficult to recover from.
Examples
- The wildfire continued to devastate entire hillsides, leaving the valley under a haze for days.
- I was devastated by the sudden cancellation after I had prepared for months.
- The report warned that another major flood could devastate the region’s transport network.
- She looked devastated when she realized her closest friend had moved away without saying goodbye.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes say "very devastated"; prefer "devastated" alone or "absolutely/completely devastated."
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More verbs
- analyze To examine something carefully in order to understand it or explain it.
- scrutinize To scrutinize something is to examine it very carefully and in detail.
- affect To affect something is to influence it or cause it to change.
- allude To allude means to mention or suggest something indirectly without saying it clearly.
- elude To elude someone or something is to avoid being caught, understood, or remembered.