destroy

American  

[dih-stroi] / dɪˈstrɔɪ /

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.

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verb (used without object)

1. to engage in destruction.

destroy British  

/ 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

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Related Words

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.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of destroy

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”)

Explanation

When your little brother breaks your carefully constructed Lego village into its tiny parts, he destroys it. To destroy is to completely demolish. To destroy is the opposite of to construct or to build. When you destroy something, you cause destruction, when you build something, you are involved in its construction. In war, soldiers are sometimes sent on missions to search and destroy. This means their job is to find a target and completely take it out. Destroy doesn't have to be physical though. If you get an F in your math class, that could destroy your dream of going to an Ivy League university and too much criticism can destroy your self-esteem.

Example Sentences

"We realised that there isn't that much air defence left to destroy to gain access deep into the territory," he said.

From Barron's • May 17, 2026

His mistake was to try to destroy a man whose greatest nemesis was himself, and that singular, burning focus of Mozart’s earned him immortality regardless of what his haters threw at him.

From Salon • May 16, 2026

According to the researchers, this means that blocking riboflavin-related pathways could make tumors more vulnerable to ferroptosis and easier to destroy.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2026

The spring art fairs offer a whirlwind chance to take in works in every style and medium—from rococo- and Renaissance-inspired paintings to digital sculptures that destroy themselves.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

An air strike could never be guaranteed to destroy them all.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

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