Devastate
/ˈdɛv.ə.steɪt/noun
To destroy or severely damage something.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin devastare, used for ravaging territory so completely that it was left desolate, which is why it still feels so apocalyptic today.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weǵʰ-
“to be strong, lively; to carry on”
Latin
Latin
vastus
“empty, desolate, waste”
Latin
Latin
vastāre
“to lay waste, ravage”
Latin
Latin
dēvastāre
“to devastate, ravage completely”
Old French
Old French
devaster
“to lay waste, ruin”
Middle English
English
devastaten
“to ravage, destroy”
Modern English
English
devastate
“to destroy or severely damage”