ravaging

rav·age

R0058200 (răv′ĭj)v. rav·aged, rav·ag·ing, rav·ages v.tr.1. To bring heavy destruction on; devastate: A tornado ravaged the town.2. To pillage; sack: Enemy soldiers ravaged the village.v.intr. To wreak destruction.n.1. The act or practice of pillaging or destroying: the marauders' ravage of the village.2. a. Destruction, damage, or harm: The storm resulted in the ravage of the countryside.b. ravages Destructive or harmful effects: the ravages of disease.

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[French ravager, from Old French, to uproot, from ravir, to ravish; see ravish.]

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rav′ag·er n.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	ravaging - plundering with excessive damage and destructiondevastationpillaging, plundering, pillage - the act of stealing valuable things from a place; "the plundering of the Parthenon"; "his plundering of the great authors"
Adj.	1.	ravaging - ruinously destructive and wasting; "a ravaging illness"destructive - causing destruction or much damage; "a policy that is destructive to the economy"; "destructive criticism"