devastate-v; 2 Senses

Sense Number 1: ravage, lay waste to

Examples:
While the Tartars retreated from the Great Plain, they devastated Transylvania.
Unemployed youths devastated the Parisian suburbs last year.
Such a law would devastate the housing market.

Mappings:
VerbNet: destroy-44
FrameNet: Destroying
PropBank: devastate.01
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 1

Sense Number 2: overwhelm, overpower

Examples:
Michael's death devastated his mother.
I was devastated by the news.

Mappings:
VerbNet: amuse-31.1
FrameNet: Experiencer_obj
PropBank: devastate.01
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 2