populate β to inhabit; live in; be the inhabitants of.
verb depopulated
destroy β To destroy something means to cause so much damage to it that it is completely ruined or does not exist any more.
ravage β to work havoc upon; damage or mar by ravages: a face ravaged by grief.
depopulate β To depopulate an area means to greatly reduce the number of people living there.
desecrate β If someone desecrates something which is considered to be holy or very special, they deliberately damage or insult it.
despoil β To despoil a place means to make it less attractive, valuable, or important by taking things away from it or by destroying it.
devastate β If something devastates an area or a place, it damages it very badly or destroys it totally.
devour β If a person or animal devours something, they eat it quickly and eagerly.
pillage β to strip ruthlessly of money or goods by open violence, as in war; plunder: The barbarians pillaged every conquered city.
plunder β to rob of goods or valuables by open force, as in war, hostile raids, brigandage, etc.: to plunder a town.
ruin β ruins, the remains of a building, city, etc., that has been destroyed or that is in disrepair or a state of decay: We visited the ruins of ancient Greece.
sack β a strong light-colored wine formerly imported from Spain and the Canary Islands.
waste β to consume, spend, or employ uselessly or without adequate return; use to no avail or profit; squander: to waste money; to waste words.
denude β To denude an area means to destroy the plants in it.
deprive β If you deprive someone of something that they want or need, you take it away from them, or you prevent them from having it.
desolate β A desolate place is empty of people and lacking in comfort.
dispossess β to put (a person) out of possession, especially of real property; oust.
divest β to strip of clothing, ornament, etc.: The wind divested the trees of their leaves.
loot β spoils or plunder taken by pillaging, as in war.
maraud β to roam or go around in quest of plunder; make a raid for booty: Freebooters were marauding all across the territory.
raid β a sudden assault or attack, as upon something to be seized or suppressed: a police raid on a gambling ring.
rifle β a shoulder firearm with spiral grooves cut in the inner surface of the gun barrel to give the bullet a rotatory motion and thus a more precise trajectory.
rob β to take something from (someone) by unlawful force or threat of violence; steal from.
spoil β to damage severely or harm (something), especially with reference to its excellence, value, usefulness, etc.: The water stain spoiled the painting. Drought spoiled the corn crop.
vandalise β to destroy or deface by vandalism: Someone vandalized the museum during the night.
vandalize β to destroy or deface by vandalism: Someone vandalized the museum during the night.
wreck β any building, structure, or thing reduced to a state of ruin.
wreak havoc β (Idiomatic) To cause damage, disruption, or destruction.
kill β to deprive of life in any manner; cause the death of; slay. Synonyms: slaughter, massacre, butcher; hang, electrocute, behead, guillotine, strangle, garrote; assassinate.
annihilate β To annihilate something means to destroy it completely.
butcher β A butcher is a shopkeeper who cuts up and sells meat. Some butchers also kill animals for meat and make foods such as sausages and meat pies.
decimate β To decimate something such as a group of people or animals means to destroy a very large number of them.
murder β Law. the killing of another human being under conditions specifically covered in law. In the U.S., special statutory definitions include murder committed with malice aforethought, characterized by deliberation or premeditation or occurring during the commission of another serious crime, as robbery or arson (first-degree murder) and murder by intent but without deliberation or premeditation (second-degree murder)
slaughter β Frank, 1908β2001, U.S. novelist and physician.
slay β to draw (warp ends) through the heddle eyes of the harness or through the dents of the reed in accordance with a given plan for weaving a fabric.
