Dev·as·tate v. t. [imp. & p. p. Devastated; p. pr. & vb. n. Devastating.] To lay waste; to ravage; to desolate.
Whole countries . . . were devastated. --Macaulay.
Syn: -- To waste; ravage; desolate; destroy; demolish; plunder; pillage.
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devastating
adj 1: making light of; "afire with annihilating invective"; "a
devastating portrait of human folly"; "to compliments
inflated I've a withering reply"- W.S.Gilbert [syn: annihilating,
withering]
2: wreaking or capable of wreaking complete destruction;
"possessing annihilative power"; "a devastating
hurricane"; "the guns opened a withering fire" [syn: annihilative,
annihilating, withering]
3: physically or spiritually devastating; often used in
combination; "a crushing blow"; "a crushing rejection";
"bone-crushing" [syn: crushing]