lay waste to
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb (transitive) To completely destroy, devastate, or ruin something, typically over a wide area, rendering it desolate or unusable.
Usage
This verb phrase is used to describe an action that causes severe, widespread, and often deliberate destruction. It implies a thorough and devastating impact, leaving the affected area in a state of ruin. It is typically used in formal, literary, or historical contexts.
Examples
- The invading army proceeded to lay waste to the fertile coastal plains.
- The wildfire laid waste to thousands of acres of ancient forest.
- Economic policies that ignore environmental concerns can lay waste to natural resources.
Advanced Usage
- Figurative Use: While often literal, it can be used figuratively to describe non-physical devastation.
- The scandal laid waste to his political career.
- Tense Forms: The past tense and past participle is laid waste to.
- The hurricane had laid waste to the entire infrastructure.
Variants and Related Words
- Lay waste (verb, transitive): A slightly more concise form with the same meaning, often followed by a direct object without "to".
- The general ordered his troops to lay waste the region.
- Wasteland (noun): An area that has been laid waste; barren or desolate land.
- Devastate (verb): A close synonym meaning to destroy or overwhelm.
- Ravage (verb): To cause severe and extensive damage.
Synonyms
- Destroy
- Devastate
- Ravage
- Desolate
- Ruin
- Wreck
Related Phrases
- Leave in ruins: To cause something to become completely destroyed.
- Reduce to rubble/ashes: To destroy something so completely that only broken fragments or ash remain.
Notes
The phrase "lay waste to" carries a strong connotation of intentional, forceful, or catastrophic action resulting in near-total destruction. It is more intense and vivid than simpler verbs like "damage" or "harm."
Verb
- cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly
- The enemy lay waste to the countryside after the invasion