devastato

Devastato is the past participle of the Italian verb devastare, meaning to devastate or lay waste. It functions as both a past participle in compound tenses and as an adjective describing something that has been heavily damaged or ruined. The word comes from Latin devastatus, through the verb devastare, and shares its core sense of destruction and ruin.

As a past participle, devastato appears in phrases formed with avere to indicate a completed action (ho devastato). With essere, it forms a passive or stative sense and agrees in gender and number with the subject (la regione è devastata; i villaggi sono devastati). In everyday usage, devastato commonly describes physical destruction after natural disasters, conflicts, or accidents, but it can also describe figurative ruin, such as an economy or morale being devastated.

Usage notes: devastato is frequently used in news reporting, literature, and discourse concerning damage, disaster, or profound disappointment. It can be combined with adverbs or intensifiers to convey degree, such as profondamente devastato or gravemente devastata, depending on gender and number.

Examples: La tempesta ha lasciato una costa devastata. La città è devastata dal terremoto. Mi sento devastato dopo la notizia. La casa è stata devastata dall’incendio.

Related terms include devastazione (devastation), devastare (to devastate), and deturpato (damaged or defaced). In essence, devastato conveys severe damage or ruin, whether physical, environmental, or emotional.