devastate Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly
    desolate; scourge; lay waste to; ravage; waste.
    • The enemy lay waste to the countryside after the invasion
  2. verb overwhelm or overpower
    • He was devastated by his grief when his son died

WordNet

Dev"as*tate transitive verb
Etymology
L. devastatus, p. p. of devastare to devastate; de + vastare to lay waste, vastus waste. See Vast.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Devastated; present participle & verbal noun Devastating
Definitions
  1. To lay waste; to ravage; to desolate.
    Whole countries . . . were devastated. Macaulay.
    Syn. -- To waste; ravage; desolate; destroy; demolish; plunder; pillage.

Webster 1913