devastate
gb/dˈɛvɪstˌeɪt/ us/dˈɛvɪstˌeɪt/
B2
Inglés
~ 9300
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Verbo
B2
action
1
completely destroy a place or thing
to harm or break something so much that almost nothing useful is left, especially a town, land, or buildings
Patrón de uso:
to devastate [a place/thing]
Error frecuente:
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").
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
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.)
Colocaciones
devastate the city
|devastate the area
|devastate the region
|devastate the economy
|devastate crops
|devastate homes
Temas
disasters
|war
|environment
|nature
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The earthquake devastated the coastal city, leaving thousands without homes.
- Floods devastated the region, wiping out roads, bridges, and farms.
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The storm devastated the small village.
- Fire devastated their house in one night.
- The war devastated many towns in the region.
- Heavy rain devastated the farmers’ crops.
- The factory fire devastated the company’s main building.
Verbo
B2
action
2
cause someone extreme sadness or shock
to make a person feel very, very sad or shocked
Patrón de uso:
to devastate [someone]; to be devastated by [something]
Error frecuente:
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").
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
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.)
Colocaciones
devastate a family
|devastate her/him
|be devastated by the news
|feel devastated
|emotionally devastated
Temas
emotions
|relationships
|health
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The sudden death of her father devastated her.
- News of the accident devastated the whole community.
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The bad news devastated his family.
- She was devastated by her mother’s death.
- 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.
Verbo
C1
action
3
defeat an opponent extremely badly
to win against another person or team by a very big score or in a very easy way
Patrón de uso:
to devastate [an opponent/team]
Error frecuente:
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."*
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
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.)
Colocaciones
devastate the opposition
|devastate their rivals
|devastate the defending champions
|devastate the other team
|devastate the competition
Temas
sports
|competition
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The underdogs devastated the defending champions in a shocking 5–0 victory.
- Our team absolutely devastated their rivals in the second half.
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Our team devastated the other team 4–0.
- They devastated their opponents in the final match.
- 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.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
devastate
AFI
GB/dˈɛvɪstˌeɪt/
US/dˈɛvɪstˌeɪt/
Sílabas y acento
dev - ast - ate (3 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (dev)
Formas de la palabra
Verb
- Base: devastate
- 3rd Person Singular: devastates
- Present Participle: devastating
- Past: devastated
Familia de palabras
Forms
Core family
devastation
noun
devastatingly
adverb
Expresiones
Todavía no hay expresiones vinculadas a esta entrada.