devastate
- v. 毁坏, 摧毁
- v. 使震惊, 使极度悲伤
- Definition
- v. to destroy something or damage it very severely
- v. to shock or upset someone deeply
- Example
- The storm could devastate the small coastal town overnight.
- 这场风暴可能在一夜之间摧毁这个沿海小镇。
Synonyms & Differences 近义词辨析
Compared meaning: to badly damage or destroy something (verb).
比较义项：破坏、摧毁（动词）。
- destroy
The most general and strongest word for making something cease to exist or function completely; neutral register, used for both physical objects and abstract things like hope or evidence.
destroy 是这组词里最常用、语气最强的词，指让某物彻底不复存在或无法运作；语域中性，既可用于具体事物，也可用于希望、证据等抽象事物。
The bulldozers destroyed the old building in just two days.
推土机只用两天就摧毁了那栋旧楼。
- devastate 本词
Emphasizes severe, widespread damage to a place, often from a disaster, and can extend to overwhelming emotional shock to people; more dramatic than destroy.
devastate 强调大范围、程度严重的破坏，常用于灾难对某地造成的破坏，也可引申指给人带来巨大的精神打击；语气比 destroy 更具冲击力。
The hurricane devastated coastal communities across the state.
那场飓风重创了该州沿海地区的多个社区。
- ruin
Focuses on spoiling something so it no longer serves its purpose or gives satisfaction, often without physical violence; common with plans, chances, or quality rather than large-scale destruction.
ruin 强调把某事物毁坏到无法再发挥作用或令人满意的地步，不一定涉及暴力破坏；常用于计划、机会、品质等，而非大规模的实体破坏。
A single mistake could ruin his chances of winning the competition.
一个小失误就可能毁掉他赢得这场比赛的机会。
Destroy, devastate, and ruin all mean to badly damage something. Destroy is the strongest, meaning to make something stop existing completely. Devastate emphasizes severe, widespread damage, often from a disaster, or overwhelming someone emotionally. Ruin means spoiling something so it loses its value or purpose.
这三个词在“把某物毁坏掉”这一义项上意思相近，但语气强弱和使用范围不同：destroy 最直接、最强烈，devastate 强调大范围或毁灭性的打击，ruin 更侧重把事物毁坏到失去价值或无法使用的地步。