lay waste to

IPA/lˈeɪ wˈeɪst tuː/
IPA/lˈeɪ wˈeɪst tuː/

lay waste to — idiom

1. to destroy or severely damage a place or area, frequently as a result of war, a

1.慣用語及物C1
釋義

to destroy or severely damage a place or area, frequently as a result of war, a natural disaster, or human activity, leaving it in a ruined or uninhabitable state.

例句

The invading army laid waste to the entire province, burning crops and homes.

army as subject; 'to' + place object

A series of earthquakes laid waste to mountain villages, leaving thousands of people homeless.

natural disaster as subject

同義詞
  • devastate

    more common in everyday speech; same intensity of destruction

  • ravage

    suggests repeated or ongoing destruction over time

  • raze

    specifically means to destroy a building or city to the ground, often deliberately

反義詞
  • rebuild

    opposite action — constructing what was destroyed

  • restore

    returning a damaged place to its original condition

文法句型

lay waste to + noun phrase (place / area / community)

用法筆記

Typically used in formal, literary, or journalistic writing rather than everyday conversation. The object must be a physical place, area, or community — this idiom is not used with people as objects. Frequently appears in the active voice but can also occur in the passive (e.g., 'The region was laid waste by drought').

常見錯誤

❌The storm laid waste the town.
✅The storm laid waste to the town.
💡The preposition 'to' is required after 'waste'.
❌The illness laid waste to my father.
✅The illness left my father weak.
💡'lay waste to' is used for places and areas, not for people.