ravage

1 of 2

noun

rav·​age ˈra-vij 

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

ˈra-vij-mənt 

noun

ravager noun

Synonyms

Verb

• destroy
• devastate
• ruin
• scourge

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

Only in our misguided system could a sick bird in one state ravage a dairy farm in another and stoke legitimate concern of the next global pandemic. —Wenonah Hauter, The Mercury News, 13 July 2024

High heat index, no A/C will make for harsh early recovery The early part of the recovery from Beryl's ravages will be an arduous, sweaty task made a lot more uncomfortable by the power outages affecting millions of Texans amid the summer heat. —Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 9 July 2024

Verb

Power Lines May Have Ignited the Largest Wildfire in Texas History, Forest Service Says Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek declared an official state of emergency as the wildfires continue to ravage the area. —Danielle Jennings, Peoplemag, 16 July 2024

In recent years infernos have ravaged wine country in Australia, Bordeaux, Napa, and Sonoma, with one of the most memorable being the Atlas Fire of October 2017, which burned more than 50,000 acres over 16 days, destroying almost 800 buildings and causing six deaths. —Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 14 July 2024

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

Kids Definition

ravage

1 of 2 noun

rav·​age ˈrav-ij 

: 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

-mənt 

noun

ravager noun