ENGLISH
REFERENCE

ravaged

adj.
C1 Advanced US //ˈɹævɪdʒd// UK //ɹˈævɪdʒd// rav·aged

adj. severely damaged or destroyed by something powerful, like a war, a fire, or a disease.

adj. severely damaged, devastated, or desolated by destructive forces. Often used as a participial adjective to describe the state of a landscape, economy, or body after a period of intense suffering or violence.


SIMPLE

The country's economy was ravaged by the long war.

CONTEXTUAL

After the hurricane passed, the residents returned to find their once-beautiful coastline ravaged by wind and floodwaters.

COMPLEX

The documentary explores how the once-thriving industrial heartland was ravaged by decades of systemic neglect and the sudden departure of major manufacturing employers.

Synonyms
Usage

Often used predicatively after 'be' or 'look', or attributively before a noun. Frequently pairs with the preposition 'by'.

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