destroy

[dih-stroi]

verb (used with object)

1. to reduce (an object) to useless fragments, a useless form, or remains, as by rending, burning, or dissolving; injure beyond repair or renewal; demolish; ruin; annihilate.

   Synonyms: devastate, ravage, waste, level, smash
   Antonyms: create

2. to put an end to; extinguish.

   Synonyms: uproot, annihilate, extirpate
   Antonyms: create

3. to kill; slay.

4. to render ineffective or useless; nullify; neutralize; invalidate.

5. to defeat completely.

verb (used without object)

1. to engage in destruction.

destroy

/ dɪˈstrɔɪ /

verb

1. to ruin; spoil; render useless

2. to tear down or demolish; break up; raze

3. to put an end to; do away with; extinguish

4. to kill or annihilate

5. to crush, subdue, or defeat

6. (intr) to be destructive or cause destruction

Other Word Forms

• destroyable adjective
• half-destroyed adjective
• predestroy verb (used with object)
• self-destroyed adjective
• self-destroying adjective
• undestroyed adjective
• well-destroyed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of destroy¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English destroyen, from Old French destruire, from Vulgar Latin dēstrūgere (unattested), for Latin dēstruere ( dē- de- + struere “to pick up, build”)

Word History and Origins

Origin of destroy¹

C13: from Old French destruire, from Latin dēstruere to pull down, from _de- + struere to pile up, build

Synonym Study

Destroy, demolish, raze imply reducing a thing to uselessness. To destroy is to reduce something to nothingness or to take away its powers and functions so that restoration is impossible: Fire destroys a building. Disease destroys tissues. To demolish is to destroy something organized or structured: to demolish a machine. To raze is to level down to the ground: to raze a fortress.

Example Sentences

Most of the population has also been repeatedly displaced and more than 90% of homes are estimated to be damaged or destroyed.

From BBC

In the aftermath of an epic disaster, you also have to wrangle with the complications of destroyed infrastructure, permitting bottlenecks, insurance disputes and scary levels of contamination.

From Los Angeles Times

Several EU member states have backed plans for a multi-layered "drone wall" to quickly detect, then track and destroy Russian drones.

From BBC

Beyond the incoherence of destroying an item that was already paid for, demonstrations like these had little impact on the brands themselves.

From Salon

Presidential spokesperson Lova Ranoromaro said on social media that "we do not want a coup d'etat, because a coup d'etat destroys a nation, because a coup d'etat destroys the future of our children".

From BBC

Related Words

• consume 
• crush 
• damage 
• dismantle 
• end 
• eradicate 
• gut 
• impair 
• kill 
• maim 
• ravage 
• raze 
• ruin 
• sabotage 
• shatter 
• smash 
• smash-up 
• wipe out 
• wreck