Synonyms of devastate

devastate 1 of 3

verb (1)

1

as in to ravage

to bring destruction to (something) through violent action

the city was devastated, first by the earthquake and then by fires

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ravage
• destroy
• ruin
• scourge
• overwhelm
• plunder
• obliterate
• despoil
• shatter
• wreck
• decimate
• eradicate
• desolate
• sack
• annihilate
• pillage
• vaporize
• demolish
• extirpate
• expunge
• strip
• extinguish
• wipe out
• loot
• waste
• smash
• total
• harry
• maraud
• overpower
• raze
• mow
• wrack
• nuke
• overrun
• overthrow
• foray
• rub out
• crush

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• recover
• restore
• rehabilitate
• redeem
• repair
• fix
• recondition
• patch
• mend
• revamp

2

as in to destroy

to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of

the explosion devastated an entire city block

Synonyms & Similar Words

• destroy
• ruin
• demolish
• shatter
• wreck
• smash
• overcome
• damage
• decimate
• ravage
• annihilate
• erode
• waste
• cripple
• desolate
• vaporize
• pulverize
• extinguish
• raze
• mar
• kill
• tear down
• total
• dismantle
• injure
• cream
• defeat
• crush
• pull down
• wrack
• rub out
• nuke
• subdue
• do in
• impair
• best
• break
• spoil
• remove
• harm
• blast
• disfigure
• conquer
• disintegrate
• deteriorate
• surmount
• obliterate
• mutilate
• eradicate
• win (against)
• rout
• prevail (over)
• vitiate
• lick
• dissolve
• triumph (over)
• trim
• master
• mangle
• deface
• undo
• exterminate
• assassinate
• despoil
• scour
• dynamite
• thrash
• clobber
• slaughter
• sweep (away)
• trounce
• beat
• havoc
• overbear
• whip
• extirpate
• liquidate
• trample
• wear (away)
• unmake
• expunge
• blow up
• slay
• overmatch
• gut
• fell
• plunder
• scotch
• disassemble
• efface
• sack
• pillage
• wash out
• wipe out
• wallop
• execute
• take down
• cut down
• massacre
• blot out
• murder
• drub
• dilapidate
• vandalize
• stamp (out)
• loot
• root (out)
• zap
• snuff (out)
• butcher
• kill off
• dispatch
• mow (down)
• unbuild
• take out
• skunk
• trash

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• build
• construct
• raise
• create
• set up
• erect
• repair
• fix
• put up
• make
• produce
• patch
• rear
• protect
• mend
• invent
• establish
• constitute
• found
• form
• manufacture
• preserve
• shape
• assemble
• save
• organize
• forge
• revamp
• bring about
• fabricate
• recondition
• restore
• mold
• conserve
• frame
• institute
• fashion
• rebuild
• reconstruct
• doctor
• father
• renovate
• remodel

3

as in to overwhelm

to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress

we were devastated by the awful news of his death

Synonyms & Similar Words

• overwhelm
• overcome
• oppress
• crush
• overpower
• disturb
• grind (down)
• swamp
• floor
• drown
• prostrate
• whelm
• rock
• overmaster
• shatter
• defeat
• snow under
• upset
• sink
• refute
• distress
• demoralize
• throw
• stagger
• unnerve
• deluge
• confute
• break
• unman

devastating

2 of 3

adjective

as in disastrous

causing or tending to cause destruction

a devastating blow to our morale

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disastrous
• destructive
• devastative
• cataclysmic
• deadly
• lethal
• fatal
• ruinous
• calamitous
• poisonous
• annihilatory
• fell
• murderous
• cataclysmal
• killer
• harmful
• detrimental
• virulent
• deleterious
• pernicious
• antibiotic
• deathly
• vital
• mortal
• baleful
• biocidal
• pestilent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• protective
• nondestructive
• constructive
• creative
• productive
• useful
• harmless
• formative
• helpful
• innocuous
• innocent
• healthy
• preservative
• healthful
• wholesome
• inoffensive
• ameliorative
• nonfatal
• salubrious
• nonlethal

devastating

3 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of devastate

1

as in ravaging

to bring destruction to (something) through violent action

the city was devastated, first by the earthquake and then by fires

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ravaging
• destroying
• ruining
• shattering
• wrecking
• scourging
• overwhelming
• plundering
• sacking
• obliterating
• eradicating
• stripping
• desolating
• looting
• decimating
• despoiling
• marauding
• annihilating
• vaporizing
• pillaging
• totalling
• wiping out
• extinguishing
• extirpating
• demolishing
• wracking
• smashing
• harrying
• wasting
• expunging
• totaling
• overpowering
• mowing
• crushing
• razing
• nuking
• overrunning
• foraying
• overthrowing
• rubbing out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• recovering
• restoring
• rehabilitating
• repairing
• fixing
• redeeming
• reconditioning
• mending
• patching
• revamping

2

as in destroying

to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of

the explosion devastated an entire city block

Synonyms & Similar Words

• destroying
• shattering
• ruining
• demolishing
• wrecking
• damaging
• smashing
• overcoming
• crippling
• wasting
• decimating
• ravaging
• eroding
• annihilating
• pulverizing
• extinguishing
• crushing
• desolating
• vaporizing
• tearing down
• wracking
• marring
• totaling
• totalling
• killing
• razing
• pulling down
• defeating
• dismantling
• doing in
• blasting
• breaking
• creaming
• nuking
• removing
• rubbing out
• deteriorating
• disfiguring
• disintegrating
• impairing
• subduing
• injuring
• spoiling
• prevailing (over)
• harming
• winning (against)
• conquering
• trimming
• surmounting
• mastering
• mutilating
• clobbering
• whipping
• thrashing
• undoing
• routing
• licking
• wearing (away)
• dynamiting
• sweeping (away)
• eradicating
• mangling
• triumphing (over)
• walloping
• dissolving
• besting
• obliterating
• overmatching
• beating
• vitiating
• gutting
• blowing up
• drubbing
• overbearing
• slaughtering
• sacking
• defacing
• scouring
• washing out
• trouncing
• wiping out
• plundering
• extirpating
• taking down
• looting
• exterminating
• assassinating
• murdering
• liquidating
• trampling
• disassembling
• stamping (out)
• cutting down
• slaying
• dilapidating
• expunging
• despoiling
• executing
• blotting out
• scotching
• skunking
• vandalizing
• dispatching
• rooting (out)
• pillaging
• massacring
• effacing
• killing off
• felling
• mowing (down)
• trashing
• butchering
• snuffing (out)
• unmaking
• taking out
• zapping
• unbuilding
• havocking

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• building
• constructing
• creating
• raising
• repairing
• rearing
• setting up
• fixing
• erecting
• producing
• making
• shaping
• putting up
• manufacturing
• forming
• forging
• inventing
• framing
• assembling
• protecting
• establishing
• organizing
• saving
• patching
• bringing about
• reconditioning
• revamping
• constituting
• fashioning
• molding
• mending
• fabricating
• preserving
• rebuilding
• doctoring
• founding
• instituting
• reconstructing
• restoring
• remodeling
• conserving
• fathering
• renovating

3

as in overwhelming

to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress

we were devastated by the awful news of his death

Synonyms & Similar Words

• overwhelming
• overcoming
• crushing
• overpowering
• disturbing
• grinding (down)
• oppressing
• swamping
• overmastering
• rocking
• drowning
• upsetting
• flooring
• shattering
• whelming
• prostrating
• distressing
• defeating
• snowing under
• sinking
• staggering
• unnerving
• demoralizing
• refuting
• throwing
• deluging
• confuting
• unmanning
• breaking