dev·as·tate
verb/ˈdevəsteɪt/
/ˈdevəsteɪt/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they devastate | /ˈdevəsteɪt/ /ˈdevəsteɪt/ |
| he / she / it devastates | /ˈdevəsteɪts/ /ˈdevəsteɪts/ |
| past simple devastated | /ˈdevəsteɪtɪd/ /ˈdevəsteɪtɪd/ |
| past participle devastated | /ˈdevəsteɪtɪd/ /ˈdevəsteɪtɪd/ |
| -ing form devastating | /ˈdevəsteɪtɪŋ/ /ˈdevəsteɪtɪŋ/ |
- devastate something to completely destroy a place or an area
彻底破坏；摧毁；毁灭 - The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city.
这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
- The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city.
- [often passive] devastate somebody to make somebody feel very shocked and sad
使震惊；使极为忧伤；使极为悲痛
Word Originmid 17th cent.: from Latin devastat- ‘laid waste’, from the verb devastare, from de- ‘thoroughly’ + vastare ‘lay waste’.