verwüsten
Translation
to devastate, to ravage, to lay waste
Examples
Der Sturm hat die ganze Stadt verwüstet.
The storm devastated the whole city.
Die Kinder haben das Zimmer völlig verwüstet.
The children completely ravaged the room.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to devastate (sth.) The hurricane devastated the coast.
Similar Words
zerstören (to destroy), vernichten (to annihilate); Antonyms: aufbauen (to build up), wiederherstellen (to restore)
Etymology
Composed of the prefix 'ver-' (denoting a negative transformation) and 'wüst' (desolate, barren). It means 'to render desolate'.
Memory Tips
Imagine the prefix 'ver-' making a place 'worse' ('wüst' sounds like 'waste').