verwüstet

Verwüstet is a German adjective and the past participle of the verb verwüsten. It describes something that has been laid waste or severely damaged. The term is used for physical damage to places such as towns, villages, landscapes, buildings, or infrastructure, but it can also be used metaphorically to describe ruined conditions or devastated circumstances. Example uses include: eine verwüstete Landschaft, die verwüstete Stadt, die Felder wurden verwüstet.

Etymology and grammar: Verwüstet comes from verwüsten, meaning to devastate. In attributive position before a noun it takes the usual adjective endings: die verwüstete Stadt, eine verwüstete Landschaft; in the plural: verwüstete Städte. In predicative position it functions as a normal predicate adjective: Die Stadt ist verwüstet. Related noun forms include die Verwüstung (devastation).

Usage and nuance: Verwüstet is common in reporting on war, natural disasters, or large-scale accidents, but it can also describe ruined domestic or industrial conditions. It conveys a strong sense of ruin and disruption without specifying the cause, and it is typically descriptive rather than evaluative.