Devastating

Devastating
Devastate Dev"as*tate (?; 277), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Devastated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Devastating}.] [L. devastatus, p. p. of devastare to devastate; de + vastare to lay waste, vastus waste. See {Vast}.] To lay waste; to ravage; to desolate. [1913 Webster]

Whole countries . . . were devastated. --Macaulay.

Syn: To waste; ravage; desolate; destroy; demolish; plunder; pillage. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • devastating — [[t]de̱vəsteɪtɪŋ[/t]] 1) ADJ GRADED: usu ADJ n (emphasis) If you describe something as devastating, you are emphasizing that it is very harmful or damaging. The city of Ormac took the full force of the winds and devastating floods... Affairs do… …   English dictionary

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  • devastating — adjective 1 destroying or badly damaging something: Acid rain has a devastating effect on the environment. 2 shocking and upsetting: the devastating news of a plane crash 3 almost impossible to argue against or deal with: a devastating argument… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

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