Devastate — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Devastate (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

1. to bring destruction to (something) through violent action

   "the city was devastated, first by the earthquake and then by fires"

   similar: destroy, ravage, ruin, scourge
   related: despoil, foray, harry, loot, maraud, pillage, plunder, sack, strip, annihilate, desolate, eradicate, expunge, extinguish, extirpate, nuke, obliterate, rub out, shatter, smash, total, vaporize, waste, wipe out, wrack, wreck, decimate, mow, demolish, raze, crush, overpower, overrun, overthrow, overwhelm
   near: recondition, recover, redeem, rehabilitate, restore, fix, mend, patch, repair, revamp

2. to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of

   "the explosion devastated an entire city block"

   similar: annihilate, cream, decimate, demolish, desolate, destroy, do in, extinguish, nuke, pull down, pulverize, raze, rub out, ruin, shatter, smash, tear down, total, vaporize, waste, wrack, wreck
   related: beat, best, clobber, conquer, crush, defeat, drub, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), rout, scotch, skunk, subdue, surmount, thrash, trim, triumph (over), trounce, wallop, whip, win (against), blast, blow up, break, cripple, damage, deface, deteriorate, disfigure, disintegrate, dissolve, dynamite, harm, impair, injure, mangle, mar, mutilate, spoil, vitiate, erode, scour, sweep (away), wash out, wear (away), dilapidate, disassemble, dismantle, gut, take down, unbuild, undo, unmake, blot out, efface, eradicate, expunge, exterminate, extirpate, liquidate, obliterate, remove, root (out), snuff (out), stamp (out), wipe out, despoil, havoc, loot, pillage, plunder, ravage, sack, trample, trash, vandalize, assassinate, butcher, cut down, dispatch, execute, fell, kill, kill off, massacre, mow (down), murder, slaughter, slay, take out, zap
   opposite: build, construct, erect, put up, raise, rear, set up
   near: doctor, fix, mend, patch, recondition, repair, revamp, create, invent, assemble, fabricate, fashion, forge, form, frame, make, manufacture, mold, produce, shape, bring about, constitute, establish, father, found, institute, organize, conserve, preserve, protect, save, rebuild, reconstruct, remodel, renovate, restore

3. to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress

   "we were devastated by the awful news of his death"

   similar: crush, floor, grind (down), oppress, overcome, overmaster, overpower, overwhelm, prostrate, snow under, swamp, whelm
   related: deluge, drown, sink, confute, defeat, refute, break, demoralize, distress, disturb, rock, shatter, stagger, throw, unman, unnerve, upset