devastate

UK/'devәsteit/US

IELTSTOEFLGREB1

释义

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

词根派生

de-向下，去除，逆转

-ate使成为，具有

=devastate

de-（这里表「彻底、完全」）+ vast（来自 vastāre「使荒芜」）+ -ate（动词后缀）= 把一个地方完全清空、夷为废墟。洪水或军队过后，片瓦不存。英语从这种字面的毁坏作了一次情感跳跃：如果灾难能夷平一座城，噩耗也能击垮一个人——所以 devastated 也表示「悲痛欲绝」。

devastate 同时在两个层面起作用。物理上，它表示彻底的破坏——像它的拉丁词源 vastāre 清空被征服的土地那样清空一个地方。情感上，英语把同样的「夷平」延伸到人身上：被 devastated，就是内心感到像被炸毁的城市一样满目疮痍。字面义和情感义共享同一幅画面：彻底的、夷为平地的毁坏。

1.
The earthquake devastated entire villages along the coast.
地震摧毁了沿海一带的整个村庄。
2.
A long drought has devastated the region's crops.
持续的干旱毁掉了该地区的庄稼。
3.
She was devastated when she heard that her father had died.
听到父亲去世的消息时，她悲痛欲绝。
4.
The team was devastated by the last-minute defeat.
球队因最后一刻的失利而深受打击。

- devastate — 彻底、夷平式的毁坏；也指情感上的击垮

- destroy — 结束某物的存在或功能，宽泛中性

- demolish — 有意拆毁建筑，常逐栋拆除

- ravage — 在时间或区域上猛烈地破坏，如疾病、战争肆虐

- wreck — 严重损坏使其失效，常用于车辆或计划

为什么是这个意思

例句

The earthquake devastated entire villages along the coast.

地震摧毁了沿海一带的整个村庄。

A long drought has devastated the region's crops.

持续的干旱毁掉了该地区的庄稼。

She was devastated when she heard that her father had died.

听到父亲去世的消息时，她悲痛欲绝。

The team was devastated by the last-minute defeat.

球队因最后一刻的失利而深受打击。

近义词对比

- devastate — 彻底、夷平式的毁坏；也指情感上的击垮

- destroy — 结束某物的存在或功能，宽泛中性

- demolish — 有意拆毁建筑，常逐栋拆除

- ravage — 在时间或区域上猛烈地破坏，如疾病、战争肆虐

- wreck — 严重损坏使其失效，常用于车辆或计划