verwoesten

Verwoesten is a Dutch transitive verb meaning to devastate, to lay waste, or to ruin extensively. It is used for both physical destruction of places and more abstract ruin, such as the destruction of an economy, morale, plans, or landscapes. In everyday language it is common in contexts involving wars, natural disasters, or large-scale neglect. The verb often appears with a direct object, for example: de stad werd verwoest door de oorlog (the city was devastated by the war) or de storm verwoestte de kust (the storm ravaged the coast).

Grammatically, verwoesten forms in the past tense as verwoestte (singular) or verwoestten (plural). The past participle is verwoest, which is also used as an adjective: een verwoeste stad (a devastated city). The passive voice is typically formed with worden: De stad werd verwoest. The noun derived from the verb is verwoesting, meaning devastation or the act of laying waste; the adjective form is verwoest.

Etymology-wise, verwoesten combines the prefix ver- (often imparting a sense of thoroughness or completion) with woesten, from Middle Dutch, meaning to lay waste. It is cognate with the German verwüsten. The term is distinct from vernielen or ruïneren, which can also mean to ruin but carry slightly different nuances; verwoesten emphasizes extensive, often total destruction.

In translation, verwoesten corresponds to the English "to devastate" or "to lay waste." Its use signals a high level of destruction or ruin, whether caused by conflict, disaster, or extreme neglect.