| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | devastate, destroy |
| Synonyms: | bankrupt, beggar, botch, break, bring down, bring to ruin, bust, clean out, crush, decimate, deface, defeat, defile, demolish, deplete, deplore, depredate, desecrate, despoil, devour, dilapidate, disfigure, do in, drain, exhaust, fleece, impoverish, injure, lay waste, maim, make a mess of, mangle, mar, mutilate, overthrow, overturn, overwhelm, pauperize, pillage, rape, ravish, raze, reduce, sack, shatter, smash, spoil, spoilate, total, use up, wipe out, wrack, wreak havoc on, wreck |
| Notes: | rack is destruction and ruin is destitution; in rack and ruin, rack is a variation of wrack and wreck |
| Antonyms: | build, construct, create, develop, grow |
| Main Entry: | spoil |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | ruin, hurt |
| Synonyms: | blemish, damage, debase, deface, defile, demolish, depredate, desecrate, desolate, despoil, destroy, devastate, disfigure, disgrace, harm, impair, injure, make useless, mar, mess up*, muck up, pillage, plunder, prejudice, ravage, sack, smash, spoliate, squash, take apart, tarnish, trash*, undo, upset, vitiate, waste, wreck |
| Antonyms: | help |
| Main Entry: | waste |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | ruin, destroy |
| Synonyms: | depredate, desecrate, desolate, despoil, devastate, devour, lay waste, pillage, rape, ravage, raze, reduce, sack, spoil, spoliate, wreak havoc |
| Notes: | wastage is loss through use such as wear, leakage, or decay; the gradual process of wasting; or an amount that is wasted -- while waste is loss through carelessness, inefficiency, or ignorance or another word for garbage or rubbish |
| Antonyms: | build, create, preserve |
| Main Entry: | harrow |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | sack |
| Synonyms: | demolish, depredate, desecrate, desolate, despoil, destroy, devastate, devour, fleece, gut, havoc, lay waste, loot, maraud, pillage, plunder, ransack, rape, ravage, rifle, rob, ruin, spoil, spoliate, strip, waste |
| Main Entry: | pauperize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | ruin |
| Synonyms: | bankrupt, beggar, botch, break*, bring down, bring to ruin, bust, clean out, crush, decimate, deface, defeat, defile, demolish, deplete, deplore, depredate, desecrate, despoil, devour, dilapidate, disfigure, do in, drain, exhaust, fleece, impoverish, injure, lay waste, maim, make a mess of, mangle, mar, mutilate, overthrow, overturn, overwhelm, pillage, rape, ravish, raze, reduce, sack, shatter, smash, spoil, spoilate, total*, use up, wipe out, wrack, wreak havoc on, wreck |
| Main Entry: | ruination |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | ruin |
| Synonyms: | bane, bankrupt, beggar, botch, break*, bring down, bring to ruin, bust, clean out, crush, decimate, deface, defeat, defile, demolish, deplete, deplore, depredate, desecrate, despoil, destroyer, destruction, devour, dilapidate, disfigure, do in, downfall, drain, exhaust, fleece, impoverish, injure, lay waste, maim, make a mess of, mangle, mar, mutilate, overthrow, overturn, overwhelm, pauperize, pillage, rape, ravish, raze, reduce, sack, shatter, smash, spoil, spoilate, total*, undoing, use up, wipe out, wrack, wreak havoc on, wreck, wrecker |
| Main Entry: | spoliate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | sack |
| Synonyms: | demolish, depredate, desecrate, desolate, despoil, destroy, devastate, devour, fleece, gut, havoc, lay waste, loot, maraud, pillage, plunder, ransack, rape, ravage, rifle, rob, ruin, spoil, strip, waste |
| Concept: | Waste. |
| Category: | 2. Subservience to ends; actual subservience |
| Synonyms: |
-nouns
consumption, expenditure, exhaustion; dispersion; ebb; leakage (exudation); loss; wear and tear; waste; prodigality; misuse; wasting; rubbish (useless)., mountain in labor.
-verbs
spend, expend, use, consume, swallow up, exhaust; impoverish; spill, drain, empty; disperse., cast away, fool away, muddle away, throw away, fling away, fritter away; burn the candle at both ends, waste; squander., "waste its sweetness on the desert air " [Gray]; cast one's bread upon the waters, cast pearls before swine; employ a steam engine to crack a nut, waste powder and shot, break a butterfly on a weel; labor in vain (useless); cut blocks with a razor, pour water into a sieve., leak (run out); run to waste; ebb; melt away, run dry, dry up.
-adjectives
wasted; at a low ebb., wasteful (prodigal); penny wise and pound foolish.
-phrases
magno conatu magnas nugas; le jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle; "idly busy rolls their world away" [Goldsmith].
|
| Browse Concept Index » | |