Spanish Conversation · Level 78
60 words
Spanish word
devastar
Pronunciation
IPA/deβasˈtaɾ/
Meaning
- verbdevastate
Example
El huracán devastó la ciudad.
The hurricane devastated the city.
More examples
El terremoto devastó una ciudad entera.
The earthquake devastated an entire city.
Core concept
A town leveled to rubble with a lone collapsed figure in the street.
Common phrases
devastar una ciudad
devastate a city
devastar la región
devastate the region
devastar la infraestructura
devastate the infrastructure
Similar words
destruir: Destroys an item or structure completely, leaving it gone or ruined.
arrasar: Demolishes and flattens large tracts of buildings or land.
destrozar: Renders an object into fragments or scattered pieces.
arruinar: Spoils something's usefulness or worth, often beyond repair.
Definition in Spanish
Causar destrucción o ruina total en un lugar, objeto o en el ánimo de una persona, dejándolo inutilizable o profundamente afectado.
Word origin
From Latin devastare (de- 'completely' + vastare 'to lay waste'), from vastus meaning 'empty, desolate'.
Usage tips
- Used for extreme physical destruction or profound emotional ruin, so for minor damage use dañar or arruinar and speakers often say "me devastó" to mean emotionally shattered.
Other meanings
- wipe outverb
- destroyverb
- crushverb
Opposites
- reconstruirrebuildverb
- restaurarrestoreverb
Related words
- devastacióndevastationnoun
- devastadordevastatingadjective
- devastadodevastatedadjective