devastar
verbCEFR B2
What does “devastar” mean in English?
to devastate, to lay waste to
to devastate, to lay waste to (devastar una región / un ecosistema — large-scale destruction)
Example sentences
El incendio devastó más de veinte mil hectáreas de bosque mediterráneo en tan solo cuarenta y ocho horas.
The fire devastated more than twenty thousand hectares of Mediterranean forest in just forty-eight hours.
La guerra civil devastó la economía del país durante décadas, dejando cicatrices que aún son visibles.
The civil war devastated the country's economy for decades, leaving scars that are still visible.
El paso del huracán dejó comunidades enteras devastadas y miles de personas sin hogar.
The passage of the hurricane left entire communities devastated and thousands of people homeless.
How to use it
Devastar means 'to devastate' — causing severe, large-scale destruction. Typically applied to physical landscapes (incendios, terremotos, guerras) or abstract realms (economías, comunidades). The adjective devastado/a is equally common. Stronger than destruir in implying comprehensive, sweeping damage to a wide area.
Common mistake
Devastar implies scale — use it for widespread, severe damage, not minor harm. Devastado/a (adjective) is common: la región quedó devastada. Devastar vs. arrasar (raze) — arrasar implies total levelling; devastar implies severe but not necessarily complete destruction. No reflexive in the primary sense.