dévastateur

devastating

adjective deh-vas-tah-TUR Rare

Usage Note

dévastateur agrees in gender and number: feminine dévastatrice, plural dévastateurs / dévastatrices. It can describe physical destruction (a storm, a fire) or figurative harm (a criticism, a defeat). The verb dévaster and noun dévastation share the root from Latin vastare (to lay waste).

Examples

"L'incendie a eu un effet dévastateur sur la forêt."

Natural Translation

The fire had a devastating effect on the forest.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

French Café Culture: How to Order Like a Local

In a French café, un café means espresso, one drink rents the table for an hour, and you must ask for the bill. Order coffee like a local with these phrases.

June 4, 2026 7 min read

FrenchNow

Je t'aime vs Je t'adore: I Love You in French

Je t'aime is the real romantic I love you; je t'adore means warm fondness, not romance. Here's the person-vs-thing rule and the bien trap that flips it.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

How to Pronounce the French R (Step by Step)

The French R is a back-of-the-throat sound, not a rolled R. Learn the exact tongue position and a step-by-step drill to build it from sounds you already make.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

Avoir or Être? Picking the Right Past-Tense Helper

Use avoir for the passé composé unless the verb is reflexive or one of ~16 DR MRS VANDERTRAMP motion verbs, which take être and force agreement.

June 4, 2026 5 min read