ravage

[ rav-ij ]

verb (used with object)

, rav·aged, rav·ag·ing.

1. to work havoc upon; damage or mar by ruinous or destructive action:

   a face ravaged by grief.

   Synonyms: sack, pillage, plunder, despoil, ruin

   Antonyms: repair, build

verb (used without object)

, rav·aged, rav·ag·ing.

1. to work havoc; do ruinous damage.

noun

1. havoc; ruinous damage:

   the ravages of war.

2. devastating or destructive action.

   Synonyms: desolation, waste, ruin

   Antonyms: creation

ravage

/ ˈrævɪdʒ /

verb

1. to cause extensive damage to

noun

1. often plural destructive action

   the ravages of time

Derived Forms

• ˈravager, noun
• ˈravagement, noun

Other Words From

• rav·age·ment noun
• rav·ag·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ravage¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from French, Middle French, equivalent to rav(ir) “to snatch away, ravish” + -age -age ( def ); ravish

Word History and Origins

Origin of ravage¹

C17: from French, from Old French ravir to snatch away, ravish

Synonym Study

Ravage, devastate, lay waste all refer, in their literal application, to the wholesale destruction of a countryside by an invading army (or something comparable). Lay waste has remained the closest to the original meaning of destruction of land: The invading army laid waste the towns along the coast. But ravage and devastate are used in reference to other types of violent destruction and may also have a purely figurative application. Ravage is often used of the results of epidemics: The Black Plague ravaged 14th-century Europe; and even of the effect of disease or suffering on the human countenance: a face ravaged by despair. Devastate, in addition to its concrete meaning ( vast areas devastated by bombs ), may be used figuratively: a devastating remark.

Example Sentences

However, the sector and its supporters say they weren’t properly consulted, and that the changes could ravage the economy, cause job losses and damage Australia’s reputation, all while punishing both domestic and international students.

From BBC

Earlier this week, three planes that were either landing or taking off from the main airport in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, were struck by gunfire as gang violence ravages the Caribbean nation.

From BBC

Israeli bombardment has ravaged large swaths of the country, killed almost 3,300 people and displaced a quarter of the population.

From Los Angeles Times

Recently, neighbors gathered on the street for the first time since fire ravaged their homes.

From Los Angeles Times

But in neighborhoods that were ravaged by the fire on Wednesday, the painful process of assessing the damage is just beginning.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• consume
• damage
• demolish
• devastate
• disrupt
• gut
• impair
• overrun
• overwhelm
• pillage
• plunder
• raze
• ruin
• shatter
• sweep away
• wreck