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

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

Verb

The Detroit Lions were ravaged by injuries for most of last season, and the team limped into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed with several injuries on defense, including star pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson. —Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Aug. 2025

Moore and her family have been navigating a challenging time after their home was among those ravaged by the deadly L.A. fires last January. —Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2025

In 2023, more than 6,000 fires ravaged 37 million acres of land in Canada alone and the last two years have ranked among the worst wildfire seasons in the country's history, according to the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service. —Rebecca Schneid, Time, 2 Aug. 2025

The Twins’ roster was ravaged by trades throughout the week — nine total, with seven alone coming on Thursday before Major League Baseball’s trade deadline. —Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 1 Aug. 2025

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

Rhymes for ravage

• gavage
• lavage

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