Definitions

devastate

[dev-uh-steyt] / ˈdɛv əˌsteɪt /

VERB

demolish, destroy

Synonyms

STRONGEST

ravage raze ruin wreck

STRONG

desecrate desolate despoil devour level pillage plunder raid sack smash spoil total trash waste

WEAK

depredate do one in lay waste spoliate stamp out take apart wipe off map

Antonyms

STRONGEST

build construct

STRONG

guard help improve protect save

WEAK

enrich

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A quarter-century before the hit film, former bond salesman and budding author Michael Lewis wrote a provocative piece of speculative fiction: “How a Tokyo Earthquake Could Devastate Wall Street.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026

Devastate, dev′as-tāt, v.t. to lay waste: to plunder.—ns.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various

Vocabulary lists containing devastate

List 5

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Divergent

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Tears of a Tiger

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