destructive
Americanadjective
-
tending to destroy; causing destruction or much damage (often followed by of orto ).
a very destructive windstorm.
- Synonyms:
- deleterious, ruinous
- Antonyms:
- creative
-
tending to overthrow, disprove, or discredit (constructive ).
destructive criticism.
- Synonyms:
- negative, adverse, unfavorable
- Antonyms:
- constructive
adjective
-
causing or tending to cause the destruction (of)
-
intended to disprove or discredit, esp without positive suggestions or help; negative Compare constructive
destructive criticism
Other Word Forms
- destructively adverb
- destructiveness noun
- destructivity noun
- interdestructive adjective
- interdestructively adverb
- interdestructiveness noun
- nondestructive adjective
- nondestructively adverb
- nondestructiveness noun
- overdestructive adjective
- overdestructively adverb
- overdestructiveness noun
- semidestructive adjective
- undestructive adjective
- undestructively adverb
- undestructiveness noun
Etymology
Origin of destructive
First recorded in 1480–90; from Middle French, from Late Latin dēstructīvus, from Latin dēstruct(us) “demolished, torn down” ( destruction ) + -īvus -ive
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
So far, oil prices have remained below economically destructive levels—at least for Americans.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
Since his punishing trilogy with Tyson Fury - a rivalry that saw him knocked down five times and stopped twice - Wilder has struggled to rediscover his destructive form.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
So who’s paying for these destructive therapy sessions?
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
The most destructive wildfires in Southern California history.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026
I did so because I agree with historian Diane McWhorter that “to sanitize the language of segregation is to mute its destructive force.”
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
