demolish

[dih-mol-ish]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR demolish ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to destroy or ruin (a building or other structure), especially on purpose; tear down; raze.

to put an end to; destroy; explode: The results of his research demolished many theories.

to lay waste to; ruin utterly: The fire demolished the area.

Informal. to devour completely: We simply demolished that turkey.

Origin of demolish

1560–70; < Middle French démoliss-, stem of démolir < Latin dēmōlīrī to destroy, equivalent to dē- de- + mōlīrī to set in motion, struggle (mōl(ēs) mass, bulk + -īrī infinitive suffix)

Related formsde·mol·ish·er, nounde·mol·ish·ment, nounhalf-de·mol·ished, adjectiveun·de·mol·ished, adjective

Synonyms for demolish

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1. level, wreck, bulldoze.

Synonym study

1. See destroy.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for demolish

smash, trash, devastate, annihilate, wreck, ruin, obliterate, dismantle, pulverize, crush, decimate, flatten, overturn, bulldoze, raze, dilapidate, wrack, level, crack, overthrow

Examples from the Web for demolish

Contemporary Examples of demolish

Eri Hayward is cheerful, even as she drops verbal bombs that demolish mainstream conceptions about being transgender.
Thank God! To the Church, This Transgender Woman Is Just a Skank
Emily Shire
October 22, 2014
It will stir things up, but it will not begin to demolish the group.
The Case of the Yakking Yakuza
Jake Adelstein
September 16, 2014
But if the Arab states mustered the will, they could demolish ISIS, as history has shown.
How a Real Air War Could Demolish ISIS
Clive Irving
August 23, 2014
They need to demolish their homes and round them up, the way they do it to our children.
The Seeds of the Next Intifada
Jesse Rosenfeld
July 7, 2014
The sale has hit some snags, but the lease also gives El-Gamel the right to demolish the building.
Why the Ground Zero Mosque Is Worth Saving
Michael Daly
April 11, 2014

Historical Examples of demolish

I'll certainly invent a Frenchman, and make him an author, and then demolish him.
Lord Kilgobbin
Charles Lever
He harangued the Indians, and exhorted them to demolish the fort.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 85, November, 1864
Various
How would it be, think you, if we were to demolish Nambanji?'
The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 9
Various
Mr. Sakari suggested that himself, and when I agreed with him he proceeded to demolish it.
Theft
Jack London
After denying your first depositions, you are trying to demolish your own father's evidence.
The Frontier
Maurice LeBlanc

British Dictionary definitions for demolish

demolish

verb (tr)

to tear down or break up (buildings, etc)

to destroy; put an end to (an argument, etc)

facetious to eat upshe demolished the whole cake!

Derived Formsdemolisher, noundemolishment, noun

Word Origin for demolish

C16: from French démolir, from Latin dēmōlīrī to throw down, destroy, from de- + mōlīrī to strive, toil, construct, from mōles mass, bulk

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for demolish

1560s, from Middle French demoliss-, present participle stem of démolir "to destroy, tear down" (late 14c.), from Latin demoliri "tear down," from de- "down" (see de-) + moliri "build, construct," from moles (genitive molis) "massive structure" (see mole (n.3)). Related: Demolished; demolishing.