RAVAGE Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'ravage' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of ravage are despoil , devastate , pillage , sack , and waste . While all these words mean "to lay waste by plundering or destroying," ravage implies violent often cumulative depredation and destruction. // a hurricane ravaged the coast

Q: When would 'despoil' be a good substitute for 'ravage'?

In some situations, the words despoil and ravage are roughly equivalent. However, despoil applies to looting or robbing without suggesting accompanying destruction. // the Nazis despoiled the art museums

Q: When is it sensible to use 'devastate' instead of 'ravage'?

While the synonyms devastate and ravage are close in meaning, devastate implies the complete ruin and desolation of a wide area. // an earthquake devastated the city

Q: How are the words 'pillage' and 'sack' related as synonyms of 'ravage'?

Pillage implies ruthless plundering at will but without the completeness suggested by sack . // settlements pillaged by Vikings

Q: Where would 'sack' be a reasonable alternative to 'ravage'?

The meanings of sack and ravage largely overlap; however, sack implies carrying off all valuable possessions from a place. // barbarians sacked ancient Rome

Q: In what contexts can 'waste' take the place of 'ravage'?

While in some cases nearly identical to ravage , waste may imply producing the same result by a slow process rather than sudden and violent action. // years of drought had wasted the area

ravage 1 of 2

verb

Definition of ravage

as in to destroy

to bring destruction to (something) through violent action the hurricane ravaged the state and caused billions of dollars worth of damage

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ravage

2 of 2

noun

as in ravaging

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How does the verb ravage contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of ravage are despoil, devastate, pillage, sack, and waste. While all these words mean "to lay waste by plundering or destroying," ravage implies violent often cumulative depredation and destruction.

a hurricane ravaged the coast

When would despoil be a good substitute for ravage?

In some situations, the words despoil and ravage are roughly equivalent. However, despoil applies to looting or robbing without suggesting accompanying destruction.

the Nazis despoiled the art museums

When is it sensible to use devastate instead of ravage?

While the synonyms devastate and ravage are close in meaning, devastate implies the complete ruin and desolation of a wide area.

an earthquake devastated the city

How are the words pillage and sack related as synonyms of ravage?

Pillage implies ruthless plundering at will but without the completeness suggested by sack.

settlements pillaged by Vikings

Where would sack be a reasonable alternative to ravage?

The meanings of sack and ravage largely overlap; however, sack implies carrying off all valuable possessions from a place.

barbarians sacked ancient Rome

In what contexts can waste take the place of ravage?

While in some cases nearly identical to ravage, waste may imply producing the same result by a slow process rather than sudden and violent action.

years of drought had wasted the area

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ravage

Verb

This year's list of 25 sites includes the Caribbean, which was ravaged by back-to-back hurricanes this fall, and the village of Amatrice, Italy, reduced to its foundations following an earthquake in August 2016. — Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026 Their starting rotation was ravaged with injuries and the bullpen was leaky beyond repair. — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026

Noun

Temperatures are rising and normally rainy Salzburg now worries about water shortage and the environmental ravage of over-tourism. — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ravage

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ravage

Verb

Noguchi, Nakashima, and Amino were adults on February 19, 1942, when President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which forced Japanese American families to quickly abandon or destroy their property and board trains to the holding centers.

— Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
Refineries in Russia have been destroyed or damaged by drone attacks.

— Matt Egan, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of destroy

Verb

Pi-o wins the competition, but is devastated at the disappearance of his friend.

— Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
The goal, Ukrainian officials and military experts say, is to devastate Ukraine’s economy — and the country’s ability to sustain the war effort — while breaking the population’s will to fight by making everyday life increasingly difficult.

— Constant Méheut, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of devastate

Verb

On Monday, workers hauled out a 200-pound piece of equipment that was ruined by the saltwater and sand carried in on the high tides.

— Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
So our goal is to learn how to maximize AI budgets, not ration them and ruin productivity gains.

— Konstantin Klyagin, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of ruin

Noun

Sixty-five percent of Gazans agreed that armed resistance had failed to protect Palestinians and had instead brought destruction.

— Michael Robbins, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2026
Look past the 1951 setting, however, and the movie's anti-war message about humanity being on a crash course to destruction has never lost its poignancy.

— Richard Edwards, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of destruction

Noun

The gang steals sacred objects, but their movements around them can resemble ceremony not desecration.

— Callum McLennan, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026
These are two examples of politicians' truths among a plethora of others that are really lies, distortions, deceptions and desecrations of the citizens' trust in them.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of desecration

Noun

No other city in the country would blow off the ruination of a community.

— Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026
Some of these are arranged into more staid compositions of geometric bands of color, while others bend and bulge into shapes evoking the baroque ruination of junk-yard findings.

— Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026

Definition of ruination

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“Ravage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ravage. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ravage

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