ravage
ravage Lexical Profile
ravage Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To cause severe and extensive damage or destruction to something.
"A prolonged drought continued to ravage the region's agricultural crops throughout the summer."
• noun
The destructive or damaging effects of something, such as time, weather, or illness (usually used in the plural).
"The ancient frescoes were carefully restored to repair the ravages of time and humidity."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'ravage' (to cause severe, widespread destruction) with 'ravish' (to fill with intense delight, or archaically to seize by force). As a noun, it is almost exclusively used in the plural form 'ravages' (e.g., 'the ravages of time').
• Rhymes for ravage
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 16th century from French 'ravage' (devastation), derived from Old French 'ravir' (to seize or carry off rapidly), ultimately from Vulgar Latin '*rapire' and Classical Latin 'rapere' (to seize).