devastate meaning

UK US /ˈdɛvəsteɪt/ 3 syllables

devastate (verb): cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly.

devastate has 2 meanings in this dictionary.

devastate as a verb

  1. cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly
    • The enemy lay waste to the countryside after the invasion

    Synonyms: lay waste to, waste, desolate, ravage, scourge

    Type of: destroy

    Kinds: ruin

    Related forms: devastation

  2. overwhelm or overpower
    • He was devastated by his grief when his son died

    Type of: overwhelm

    Related forms: devastation

How to pronounce devastate

devastate is pronounced /ˈdɛvəsteɪt/ in American English. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.

Word lists: words starting with DE · words ending in TE · 9-letter words

More about devastate on Wikipedia.