widespread destruction
1
4.8
- noun
:
destrucción generalizada
- They also included widespread destruction of natural landscapes and ecosystems, due especially to rapid suburbanization, coastal development, and large-scale public infrastructure projects such as dams and highways.
- caused widespread destruction
- yet, despite the widespread destruction
Examples
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The widespread destruction of all those beautiful old buildings in the 1960s is characterized for me by the fate of the perfectly serviceable and much-loved old clock tower in Blackburn town centre.
Blog text (6) -
The widespread destruction of the natural environment is but another, albeit urgent, symptom of this moral crisis.
Academic text (2010) -
They brought widespread destruction throughout California.
Academic text (1994) -
That may seem outrageous, but it is representative of the widespread destruction in the area.
Blog text (11) -
Germany, which has seen widespread destruction to its forests because of acid rain, also opposes the American approach.
Academic text (1999) -
Over the past several decades, massive public protests and riots in cities throughout the developing world have resulted in significant loss of life and widespread destruction of property.
Academic text (2002) -
The relentless bombardment has resulted in widespread destruction and carnage, with the official death toll rising to 29 on Friday night and the number of wounded climbing to 300.
Blog text (19) -
Hurricane Sandy barreled through the Northeast last week, creating widespread destruction and leaving millions of people without power.
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Some in the Florida Keys are returning home to widespread destruction.
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The constant movement in water trucks and equipment has caused widespread destruction to roads, bridges, and access routes.
Synonyms
849
3.0
Severe damage that makes something no longer exist or cannot be fixed
110
4.3
Great damage to a wide area often caused by war or a big disaster
90
4.8
Great destruction that leaves places badly damaged, for example after a war or storm
11
7.7
An area left empty and ruined after a disaster
3
3.8
Serious harm that affects a large area or many things
1
6.5
A wide area that is badly damaged, often by war or natural disaster
A state of complete destruction that leaves a place ruined
How Extensive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'widespread' (existing or occurring in many places) with 'destruction' (causing irreversible damage), so the meaning 'extensive damage over a large area' is directly derivable from its parts. This adjective+noun composition is a standard, cross-linguistically common pattern and would be predictable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.
Etymology
Widespread destruction paints a simple picture: widespread means spread out over a large area and destruction means things are ruined, like a fire moving across fields and leaving ruin everywhere, so it means 'extensive damage' across a wide area.