verwoeste

Verwoeste is a Dutch word that can function as both a verb form and an adjective. As a verb form, it is the simple past tense (verwoeste) of the verb verwoesten, meaning to devastate or destroy on a large scale. As an adjective, verwoeste describes something that has already been destroyed or devastated, for example een verwoeste stad.

Etymology and related terms: verwoesten is built with the prefix ver- and the stem related to woesten, with semantic ties to ruin and desolation. The past participle of verwoesten is verwoest, which forms the compound tenses with hebben or zijn (de stad is verwoest). The noun verwoesting refers to the act or result of devastation, and verwarring or wraking can appear in discussions of destruction in historical or literary contexts.

Usage: verwoeste appears in narratives and historical texts to denote past destruction. It is common in descriptions of wars, natural disasters, or disasters where widespread damage occurred. As an adjective, verwoeste can take -e endings when used attributively before a noun (de verwoeste gebouwen) and can be used predicatively after a linking verb (de gebouwen zijn verwoest). The verb form verwoeste is used for third-person singular past tense (hij verwoeste het dorp) and may appear in more archaic or formal registers.

Examples:

- De stad werd verwoest tijdens de oorlog.

- Na de overstroming stonden de verwoeste huizen nog weken lang overeind.

- De verwoeste landschappen werden later teruggemed.

See also: verwoesting, verwoesten, verwoest.