Word
devastate
To devastate means to destroy or badly damage something, or to shock and upset someone deeply.
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 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.