devastando

Devastando is the present participle of the verb devastar in Spanish and Portuguese. It functions as a verbal form that marks ongoing destruction, and can be used in progressive tenses to indicate that devastation is currently happening. In addition to literal destruction, it is often used metaphorically to describe intense or pervasive damage, whether physical, social, or emotional.

Etymology and linguistic notes: devastar comes from Latin devastare, formed with de- plus vastare, from vastus meaning emptiness or desolation. The participle devastando therefore conveys the sense of causing or undergoing ongoing ruin. The term is common in both Spanish- and Portuguese-language media, literature, and speech, with similar meanings in each language.

Usage examples: In Spanish, an example is El huracán está devastando la región, meaning the hurricane is currently causing widespread destruction. In Portuguese, O furacão está devastando a região conveys the same ongoing action. Beyond natural disasters, devastando can describe ongoing damage in scenarios such as conflict, environmental degradation, or even metaphorical devastation in social or economic contexts.

Related terms include devastación (devastation), devastar (to devastate), and devastador (devastating). While devastando is widely understood in Spanish and Portuguese, it is not used in English; the closest equivalents are devastating or being devastating in progressive sense, depending on context.

See also: devastación, devastar, devastador, devastação.