ravage

1 of 2

noun

rav·​age ˈra-vij How to pronounce ravage (audio)
1
: an act or practice of ravaging
2
: damage resulting from ravaging : violently destructive effect
the ravages of time

ravage

2 of 2

verb

ravaged; ravaging

transitive verb

: to wreak havoc on : affect destructively
a land ravaged by war

intransitive verb

: to commit destructive actions
ravagement noun
ravager noun
Choose the Right Synonym for ravage

ravage, devastate, waste, sack, pillage, despoil mean to lay waste by plundering or destroying.

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

Examples of ravage in a Sentence

Verb Hurricane Andrew ravaged Louisiana and Florida in 1992, causing $19 billion in damage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Others elect to survive on camp rations rather than brave the ravages outside. Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Many scenes and images in The Boy and the Heron echo those from his earlier films, only this time they’re rendered in service of a story almost wholly about the profound ravages of war. Nina Li Coomes, The Atlantic, 23 Feb. 2024 Popularity of the theatrical run for the collected shorts is showing signs of recovery from the pandemic’s ravages too. David Bloom, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Astronauts are up there doing basic research, understanding how microgravity ravages the human body, advancing commercial space, and much more. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 18 Jan. 2024 Maestro centers on Cooper’s assiduous show of respect for Bernstein — Cooper meticulously enacts Bernstein’s rise to celebrity while sympathetically balancing his hotshot, wunderkind arrogance with the physical ravages of time. Armond White, National Review, 22 Dec. 2023 The paper compiles data from across the globe, but stray felines disproportionately ravage islands where native species evolved in relative isolation. Celia Ford, WIRED, 12 Dec. 2023 The announcement comes the same week that San Diego County experienced its first tropical storm warning since 1939 and as climate change ravages regions with extreme heat and wildfires. Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2023 Overall, though, the results reveal an electorate ready and willing to live alongside clean energy infrastructure, and help avert the worst ravages of the climate crisis, in the world’s fifth-largest economy. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2023
Verb
Wildfires are ravaging the Mexican state of Oaxaca, a region known for its production of mezcal tequila. Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 The fires that have ravaged the Texas Panhandles are proving to be costly, not just financially for the state, but for the livelihoods of many. Li Cohen, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2024 Severe blazes have already ravaged large parts of the United States and Australia, and a worse season is forecast for Canada, where more acres burned last year than had ever been recorded. Manuela Andreoni, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 My grandmother, known for her forthrightness, couldn’t even utter the name of the illness that had ravaged her body, a testament to the pervasive influence of stigma and its role in robbing her of dignity in her final days. Larada Lee, Essence, 9 Mar. 2024 Timbs Special One of the casualties of the Woolsey Fire that ravaged Southern California’s Malibu community in 2018 was Gary Cerveny’s 1949 Norman Timbs Streamliner Special—that, along with 76 other classics in his collection that were housed in his 21,000 square-foot home. Howard Walker, Robb Report, 4 Mar. 2024 With the English Premier League club vying to win an historic quadruple this season, and with injuries ravaging the senior squad, manager Jurgen Klopp has turned to the club’s famed academy for help. Ben Church, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024 This war, that has ravaged so much of the earth, has written these words. Charles Oppenheimer, Variety, 27 Feb. 2024 The Fire of 1910 For two nights – Aug. 20 and 21, 1910 – a wildfire ravaged northern Idaho and western Montana. Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ravage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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) + -age age — more at ravish

Verb

borrowed from French ravager, derivative of ravage "destruction, damage" — more at ravage entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1602, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of ravage was in 1602

Dictionary Entries Near ravage

Cite this Entry

“Ravage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ravage. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ravage

1 of 2 noun
rav·​age ˈrav-ij How to pronounce ravage (audio)
: violently destructive action or effect

ravage

2 of 2 verb
ravaged; ravaging
: to attack or act upon with great violence
a forest ravaged by fire
ravagement noun
ravager noun

More from Merriam-Webster on ravage

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