ravaging

rav·age  (rvj)

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, destroying, or devastating.

2. Grievous damage; havoc: 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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ravag·er n.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	ravaging - plundering with excessive damage and destruction devastation pillaging, 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"