devastate
Definitions
To destroy or ruin something completely; to lay waste to
彻底摧毁，毁坏，使荒芜
To overwhelm someone with grief or shock
使（某人）悲痛欲绝，使深受打击
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedde- (here 'thoroughly, completely') + vast (from vastāre, 'to lay waste') + -ate (verb) = to empty a place completely, to lay it utterly waste. A flood or an army leaves nothing standing. From this literal ruin English took an emotional leap: if disaster can flatten a city, terrible news can flatten a person — so 'devastated' also means crushed with grief.
Root vast still carries 5 more wordsWhy It Means This
Devastate works on two scales at once. Physically, it means total destruction — emptying a place the way its Latin source vastāre emptied conquered land. Emotionally, English extended that same 'flattening' to people: to be devastated is to feel as ruined inside as a bombed-out city. The literal and the emotional senses share one image: complete, leveling ruin.
Common Collocations
- 1.devastate a region摧毁一个地区
- 2.devastate the economy重创经济
- 3.be devastated by the news被消息击垮
- 4.absolutely devastated彻底崩溃
- 5.completely devastated完全崩溃
Example Sentences
- 1.
The earthquake devastated entire villages along the coast.
- 2.
A long drought has devastated the region's crops.
- 3.
She was devastated when she heard that her father had died.
- 4.
The team was devastated by the last-minute defeat.
Synonym Comparison
- devastate — complete, leveling ruin; also emotional crushing
- destroy — put an end to something's existence or function, broad and neutral
- demolish — knock down a structure deliberately, often building-by-building
- ravage — destroy violently over time or area, as disease or war ravages
- wreck — damage badly so it no longer works, often of vehicles or plans