Pronunciation: /leɪ weɪst/
noun destruction or ruin
A1 The village was left in lay waste after the hurricane.
A2 The army's mission was to lay waste to the enemy's stronghold.
B1 The dictator's rule laid waste to the country's economy.
B2 The wildfire swept through the forest, laying waste to everything in its path.
C1 The environmental disaster caused by the oil spill laid waste to the marine ecosystem.
C2 The war left a trail of lay waste across the region, with cities reduced to rubble.
verb to destroy or ruin completely
A1 The hurricane laid waste to the small town.
A2 The war left behind a path of destruction, laying waste to everything in its wake.
B1 The factory's pollution is laying waste to the surrounding environment.
B2 The invasive species has laid waste to the native flora and fauna of the island.
C1 The dictator's regime laid waste to the country's economy and infrastructure.
C2 The nuclear explosion laid waste to the entire city, leaving nothing but rubble and ashes behind.
formal The invading army proceeded to lay waste to the entire city, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake.
informal The vandals came and just laid waste to the park, it's a total mess now.
slang I can't believe you just laid waste to that pizza, you must have been really hungry.
figurative Her harsh words seemed to lay waste to his confidence, leaving him feeling defeated.