Associations to the word «Devastate»

Wiktionary

DEVASTATE, verb. To ruin many or all things over a large area, such as most or all buildings of a city, or cities of a region, or trees of a forest.
DEVASTATE, verb. To destroy a whole collection of related ideas, beliefs, and strongly held opinions.
DEVASTATE, verb. To break beyond recovery or repair so that the only options are abandonment or the clearing away of useless remains (if any) and starting over.

Dictionary definition

DEVASTATE, verb. Cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly; "The enemy lay waste to the countryside after the invasion".
DEVASTATE, verb. Overwhelm or overpower; "He was devastated by his grief when his son died".

Wise words

Language is a process of free creation; its laws and principles are fixed, but the manner in which the principles of generation are used is free and infinitely varied. Even the interpretation and use of words involves a process of free creation.
Noam Chomsky