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]