ravage

1 of 2

noun

rav·​age ˈra-vij How to pronounce ravage (audio)
1
: an act or practice of ravaging
2
: damage resulting from ravaging : violently destructive effect
the ravages of time

ravage

2 of 2

verb

ravaged; ravaging

transitive verb

: to wreak havoc on : affect destructively
a land ravaged by war

intransitive verb

: to commit destructive actions
ravagement noun
ravager noun
Choose the Right Synonym for ravage

ravage, devastate, waste, sack, pillage, despoil mean to lay waste by plundering or destroying.

ravage implies violent often cumulative depredation and destruction.

a hurricane ravaged the coast

devastate implies the complete ruin and desolation of a wide area.

an earthquake devastated the city

waste may imply producing the same result by a slow process rather than sudden and violent action.

years of drought had wasted the area

sack implies carrying off all valuable possessions from a place.

barbarians sacked ancient Rome

pillage implies ruthless plundering at will but without the completeness suggested by sack.

settlements pillaged by Vikings

despoil applies to looting or robbing without suggesting accompanying destruction.

the Nazis despoiled the art museums

Examples of ravage in a Sentence

Verb Hurricane Andrew ravaged Louisiana and Florida in 1992, causing $19 billion in damage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Related article At least 27 dead as flooding ravages southeast Brazil An emergency was also declared in Tyumen region, one of Russia’s key oil producing areas of Western Siberia, Governor Alexander Moor said. CNN, 9 Apr. 2024 Others elect to survive on camp rations rather than brave the ravages outside. Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Many scenes and images in The Boy and the Heron echo those from his earlier films, only this time they’re rendered in service of a story almost wholly about the profound ravages of war. Nina Li Coomes, The Atlantic, 23 Feb. 2024 Popularity of the theatrical run for the collected shorts is showing signs of recovery from the pandemic’s ravages too. David Bloom, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Astronauts are up there doing basic research, understanding how microgravity ravages the human body, advancing commercial space, and much more. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 18 Jan. 2024 Maestro centers on Cooper’s assiduous show of respect for Bernstein — Cooper meticulously enacts Bernstein’s rise to celebrity while sympathetically balancing his hotshot, wunderkind arrogance with the physical ravages of time. Armond White, National Review, 22 Dec. 2023 The paper compiles data from across the globe, but stray felines disproportionately ravage islands where native species evolved in relative isolation. Celia Ford, WIRED, 12 Dec. 2023 The announcement comes the same week that San Diego County experienced its first tropical storm warning since 1939 and as climate change ravages regions with extreme heat and wildfires. Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2023
Verb
The Lakers escaped with a 123-120 victory over the injury ravaged Memphis Grizzlies while the Warriors suffered a 114-109 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 13 Apr. 2024 Hawaii is awaiting $3.7 million from a 2012 storm, $77.7 million for recovery after fires ravaged Maui in 2019, and $123 million total. Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024 Hundreds of thousands of Canadians evacuated from their homes as the wildfires ravaged the country. Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2024 Children's Free Hospital opens two years after what was then the most destructive tornado in Kentucky history ravaged Louisville and left a need for specialized medical care for children in its wake. Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 4 Apr. 2024 The federal crop insurance program was born during the Great Depression, when the Dust Bowl ravaged the farm belt. Patrick Cooley, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, severe wildfires, drought and sea-level rise are ravaging state parks, which encompass nearly a quarter of California’s coastline, according to a separate report by the California State Parks Foundation, another advocacy group. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 As a result, although many among the Oromo elite are Abiy’s most powerful backers today, fighting continues to ravage many parts of Oromia. Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024 The Old Fitz name arrived at Heaven Hill in 1999, the same year that the distillery acquired the Bernheim Distillery in Louisville after the Old Heaven Hill Springs Distillery was ravaged by a fire a few years prior. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ravage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from French, "destruction, damage (by human or animal agency, or by natural or nonmaterial causes, as disease or age)," going back to Middle French, "destruction by human agency, pillage, violent flood of water," from ravir "to seize forcefully, plunder, sweep along" (going back to Old French) + -age age — more at ravish

Verb

borrowed from French ravager, derivative of ravage "destruction, damage" — more at ravage entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1602, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of ravage was in 1602

Dictionary Entries Near ravage

Cite this Entry

“Ravage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ravage. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

ravage

1 of 2 noun
rav·​age ˈrav-ij How to pronounce ravage (audio)
: violently destructive action or effect

ravage

2 of 2 verb
ravaged; ravaging
: to attack or act upon with great violence
a forest ravaged by fire
ravagement noun
ravager noun

More from Merriam-Webster on ravage

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