devastare
to devastate
verb deh-vah-STAH-reh Rare
Origin: Latin devastare (to lay waste)
Also means
to ruin
Usage Note
Devastare takes avere as its auxiliary in compound tenses (ha devastato = it devastated). It is used for natural disasters (il terremoto ha devastato la città), but also colloquially to mean to ruin or crush someone emotionally or in competition. The adjective form is devastante (devastating).
Examples
"Il terremoto ha devastato il villaggio."
Natural Translation
The earthquake devastated the village.
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