Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Despoil'

English Word: Despoil

Key Russian Translations:

• грабить [ˈɡrabʲɪtʲ] - [Informal, Verb, Imperfective]
• разорять [rɐˈzorʲɪtʲ] - [Formal, Verb, Imperfective]
• опустошать [ɐpʊˈstoʂɨtʲ] - [Formal, Verb, Imperfective]

Frequency: Medium (used in specific contexts related to looting or destruction)

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate) for all translations due to contextual nuances and verb aspects

Pronunciation (Russian):

грабить: [ˈɡrabʲɪtʲ]

Note on грабить: Stress falls on the first syllable. The 'г' is pronounced as a hard 'g'.

разорять: [rɐˈzorʲɪtʲ]

Note on разорять: Stress on the second syllable. The 'р' is rolled slightly.

опустошать: [ɐpʊˈstoʂɨtʲ]

Note on опустошать: Stress on the third syllable. The 'ш' sounds like 'sh' in 'ship'.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. To plunder or rob (literal sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• грабить - Commonly used for acts of robbery or looting, often in informal contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Бандиты грабили деревню в течение нескольких часов.

  Bandits despoiled the village for several hours.

• Они грабили богатые дома на окраине города.

  They despoiled wealthy houses on the outskirts of the city.

2. To devastate or ruin (literal or figurative sense)

Translation(s) & Context:

• разорять - Used for destruction or financial ruin, often in formal or literary contexts.
• опустошать - Refers to emptying or devastating, often used for land or resources.

Usage Examples:

• Война разорила целые регионы.

  The war despoiled entire regions.

• Экономический кризис разорил многие семьи.

  The economic crisis despoiled many families.

• Армия опустошила землю, оставив после себя пустыню.

  The army despoiled the land, leaving a desert behind.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

грабить (Imperfective Verb): Regular verb of the 2nd conjugation. Below is the present tense conjugation:

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	граблю	грабим
2nd	грабишь	грабите
3rd	грабит	грабят

разорять (Imperfective Verb): Follows similar conjugation patterns to грабить (2nd conjugation).

опустошать (Imperfective Verb): Also 2nd conjugation, with similar patterns.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for грабить:

• обворовывать
• разбойничать

Note: 'обворовывать' implies stealthy theft, while 'разбойничать' suggests violent robbery.

Synonyms for разорять/опустошать:

• уничтожать
• истощать

Antonyms:

• обогащать (to enrich)
• восстанавливать (to restore)

Related Phrases:

• грабить на дороге - "to rob on the road" (refers to highway robbery).
• разорить до нитки - "to despoil to the last thread" (to leave someone with nothing).
• опустошить запасы - "to despoil the reserves" (to use up or destroy resources).

Usage Notes:

• 'грабить' is more colloquial and often implies physical looting or robbery, suitable for informal contexts.
• 'разорять' carries a sense of financial or economic ruin and is more formal, often used in written or historical texts.
• 'опустошать' focuses on depletion or devastation, often of land or resources, and is also more formal.
• Choose the translation based on the context—whether the act of despoiling is literal (robbery) or figurative (ruin).

Common Errors:

Error 1: Using 'грабить' in formal or literary contexts where 'разорять' is more appropriate.

Incorrect: Война грабила страну. (War despoiled the country.)

Correct: Война разорила страну. (War despoiled the country.)

Explanation: 'грабить' suggests personal theft, while 'разорять' fits the broader context of war and devastation.

Cultural Notes:

The concept of 'despoiling' in Russian culture often carries historical weight, linked to periods of war and invasion (e.g., Mongol invasions or WWII), where terms like 'разорять' and 'опустошать' are frequently used in literature and historical accounts to describe widespread destruction.

Related Concepts:

• разрушение (destruction)
• погром (pogrom/riot)
• мародёрство (looting)