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
Example Sentences
Verb Hurricane Andrew ravaged Louisiana and Florida in 1992, causing $19 billion in damage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Elsewhere, terrible droughts ravage farmland and leave streams dry and fauna withered. Erik Kain, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2022 Nuclear war and a pandemic ravage Sweden; small bands of survivors hunt for food and supplies. Neima Jahromi, The New Yorker, 23 May 2022 Carson opts to portray the ravage of resources indirectly, through mood and insinuation. Anelise Chen, The Atlantic, 17 May 2022 As Covid-19 and opioid-use disorder simultaneously ravage communities, both are compounding the strain on healthcare organizations. Nick Culbertson, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2021 As fires rage, oceans rise, and pandemics ravage, the demands for international solidarity and world-scale deployments of resources are readily apparent. Greg Jackson, Harper's Magazine, 10 June 2021 Scientists have hustled to take baseline measurements and assess the situation as the combination of drought, beetles and blazes ravage landscapes.San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Aug. 2021 The report comes as wildfires ravage Europe and the American West this summer. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 9 Aug. 2021 The storm comes amid a tumultuous weather season in the United States as wildfires and drought ravage the West, and unprecedented rainfall and floods plague the Northeast as well as other areas of the country. Samara Lynn, ABC News, 25 July 2021
Verb
Dozens of hikers were rescued from the Pacific Crest Trail over the weekend as the McKinney fire continues to ravage Northern California’s Klamath National Forest. Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2022 Dozens of hikers were rescued from the Pacific Crest Trail over the weekend as the McKinney fire continues to ravage Northern California’s Klamath National Forest. Summer Lin | Los Angeles Times, oregonlive, 1 Aug. 2022 Relations between management and labor is at an all time low, the agency is failing at implementing the First Step Act and COVID-19 continues to ravage its institutions.. Walter Pavlo, Forbes, 19 July 2022 Heavier rainfall can create more extreme storm and flooding events that can ravage the state’s infrastructure and impact the local economy. Arjun Thakkar, Freep.com, 2 Sep. 2022 The show starts with two human-like androids, Mother (Amanda Collin) and Father (Abubakar Salim), settling on an uninhabited planet after religious wars ravage Earth. Eric Maurer, EW.com, 22 Aug. 2022 Apple reported third-quarter results that narrowly beat Wall Street estimates, easing concerns that supply chain snags and a shaky economy would ravage the tech giant’s sales. Mark Gurman, Fortune, 28 July 2022 The Washburn fire was the latest to ravage the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada. Robert J. Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2022 Injuries had yet to ravage through the roster and optimism always reigns at the beginning of the season. Bobby Nightengale, The Enquirer, 3 July 2022 See More
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) + -ageage — more at ravish
Verb
borrowed from French ravager, derivative of ravage "destruction, damage" — more at ravage entry 1