devastate
gb/dˈɛvɪstˌeɪt/ us/dˈɛvɪstˌeɪt/
B2
English
~ 9300
elpusztít, letarol, összetör, lesújt, csúnyán elver, kiüt, lealáz
VERB
B2
1
Usage pattern:
to devastate [a place/thing]
The earthquake devastated the coastal city, leaving thousands without homes.
A földrengés elpusztította a tengerparti várost, és emberek ezrei maradtak fedél nélkül.
Floods devastated the region, wiping out roads, bridges, and farms.
Az árvizek letarolták a térséget, elsöpörve az utakat, a hidakat és a gazdaságokat.
The wildfire has already devastated more than 10,000 acres of forest.
The closure of the main factory devastated the town’s economy.
Years of civil war devastated the country’s infrastructure.
Learner examples
The storm devastated the small village.
A vihar elpusztította a kis falut.
Fire devastated their house in one night.
A tűz egyetlen éjszaka alatt elpusztította a házukat.
The war devastated many towns in the region.
Heavy rain devastated the farmers’ crops.
The factory fire devastated the company’s main building.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "devastate" for light damage, where "damage" or "hurt" is better. "Devastate" is strong and usually describes very serious or large-scale harm. Also, avoid saying *"devastate about"*; say "devastate [something]" for physical damage (e.g., "The storm devastated the town").
Meaning
completely destroy a place or thing
Collocations
devastate the city
|devastate the area
|devastate the region
|devastate the economy
|devastate crops
|devastate homes
Synonyms
destroy (Most general word; does not strongly suggest large areas or long-term ruin the way "devastate" often does.)
|
ruin (Can be smaller in scale; "devastate" often sounds more total and dramatic.)
|
ravage (Very close in meaning, but slightly more literary and often used for disease, war, or fire.)
Antonyms
restore (Focuses on bringing something damaged back to its original state, the opposite of devastating it.)
|
protect (Means to keep something safe from harm, preventing the kind of damage "devastate" describes.)
Themes
disasters
|war
|environment
|nature
|core_vocabulary
Definition
to harm or break something so much that almost nothing useful is left, especially a town, land, or buildings
To damage or destroy something so badly that it is almost or completely ruined, especially an area, building, or community.
VERB
B2
2
Usage pattern:
to devastate [someone]; to be devastated by [something]
The sudden death of her father devastated her.
Apja hirtelen halála teljesen összetörte.
News of the accident devastated the whole community.
A baleset híre lesújtotta az egész közösséget.
He was devastated by the diagnosis and needed time off work.
The breakup absolutely devastated him, and he didn’t want to see anyone.
She looked devastated when she heard that she hadn’t got the job.
Learner examples
The bad news devastated his family.
A rossz hír lesújtotta a családját.
She was devastated by her mother’s death.
Anyja halála teljesen összetörte.
He felt devastated after the breakup.
The teacher was devastated when her student died in a car crash.
They were devastated by the loss of their home.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"I am devastate"* instead of "I am devastated" (use the past participle as an adjective). Another mistake is using "devastated" for mild feelings (like being a little sad); it usually describes very strong, serious emotions. Also avoid *"devastated about with"*; say "devastated by" or "devastated about" (e.g., "She was devastated by the news" / "about the news").
Meaning
cause someone extreme sadness or shock
Collocations
devastate a family
|devastate her/him
|be devastated by the news
|feel devastated
|emotionally devastated
Synonyms
overwhelm (Can describe strong emotion in general; "devastate" usually implies very deep sadness or shock.)
|
crush (Informal emotional sense; similar strength but can sound more dramatic or personal than "devastate".)
|
shatter (Focuses on breaking someone’s confidence or happiness; "devastate" is slightly broader but equally strong.)
Antonyms
comfort (Means to reduce someone’s sadness, the opposite of causing it to become very strong.)
|
reassure (Removes fear or worry, whereas "devastate" creates or deepens intense negative feelings.)
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|health
|core_vocabulary
Definition
to make a person feel very, very sad or shocked
To make someone feel extremely shocked, sad, or upset, often because of a serious loss or bad news.
VERB
C1
3
Usage pattern:
to devastate [an opponent/team]
The underdogs devastated the defending champions in a shocking 5–0 victory.
Az esélytelenebbnek tartott csapat megdöbbentő, 5–0-s győzelemmel kiütötte a címvédőt.
Our team absolutely devastated their rivals in the second half.
A csapatunk a második félidőben teljesen kiütötte a riválisait.
The national side devastated the visitors, scoring three goals in the first ten minutes.
She devastated her opponent in the final, winning every single game.
The club has been devastating its competition all season.
Learner examples
Our team devastated the other team 4–0.
A csapatunk 4–0-ra kiütötte a másik csapatot.
They devastated their opponents in the final match.
A döntő mérkőzésen kiütötték az ellenfelüket.
The home team devastated the visitors in the first half.
Her chess skills devastated every player in the school.
The runners devastated the other schools in the race.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this sports meaning with the emotional one. In sentences like "The team was devastated," it usually means they felt very sad, not that they easily beat someone. Use the active form with an object for this sense: "They devastated their opponents," not *"They were devastated their opponents."*
Meaning
defeat an opponent extremely badly
Collocations
devastate the opposition
|devastate their rivals
|devastate the defending champions
|devastate the other team
|devastate the competition
Synonyms
crush (Very close in sports; slightly more informal and common in headlines and speech.)
|
trounce (Very strong word for an easy, clear win; slightly more formal or journalistic than "devastate".)
|
rout (Often used in sports reports; strongly suggests a one-sided, heavy defeat.)
Antonyms
edge out (Means to win by only a very small amount, the opposite of a large, devastating victory.)
|
lose to (Direct opposite in terms of result: instead of winning easily, you are beaten.)
Themes
sports
|competition
|core_vocabulary
Definition
to win against another person or team by a very big score or in a very easy way
In sports or competition, to defeat an opponent by a very large margin, often in a way that seems one-sided or embarrassing.
Grammar
Dictionary form
devastate
IPA
GB/dˈɛvɪstˌeɪt/
US/dˈɛvɪstˌeɪt/
Syllables & stress
dev - ast - ate (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (dev)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: devastate
- 3rd Person Singular: devastates
- Present Participle: devastating
- Past: devastated
Word family
Forms
Core family
devastation
noun
devastatingly
adverb
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.