devastate

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To destroy a place or area very badly.

   The earthquake devastated several villages.

2. 2
   verb

   To make someone feel extremely upset and shocked.

   She was devastated when her best friend moved away.

Borrowed from Latin dēvastātus, perfect passive participle of dēvastō (“to lay waste, devastate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)); from dē- (augmentative prefix) + vastō (“to destroy, lay waste”). See vast. First attested in 1638.

Topics