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 (opposed to 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
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destructivelyadverb
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destructivenessnoun
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destructivitynoun
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interdestructiveadjective
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interdestructivelyadverb
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interdestructivenessnoun
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nondestructiveadjective
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nondestructivelyadverb
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nondestructivenessnoun
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overdestructiveadjective
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overdestructivelyadverb
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overdestructivenessnoun
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semidestructiveadjective
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undestructiveadjective
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undestructivelyadverb
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undestructivenessnoun
Etymology
Origin of destructive
First recorded in 1480–90; from Middle French, from Late Latin dēstructīvus, from Latin dēstruct(us) “demolished, torn down” ( see destruction) + -īvus -ive
Explanation
If something causes a lot of damage, you can talk about its destructive force or power. Something is destructive when it really messes things up. The word destructive comes from the Latin destruere which means literally to unbuild. In addition to describing a storm or battle, the word can be used for the things people say as well as do. If your mother's comments about your weight cause you to eat more bon bons, you could say that her remarks were destructive to your diet.
Vocabulary lists containing destructive
Latin Love, Vol I: struere
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Ocean Storm Alert!
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George's Key to the Universe, Lessons 1–5
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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.
Tsunamis, formerly known as tidal waves, raz-de-marée in France or maremoti in Italy, are among the most destructive natural phenomena.
From Science Daily • May 21, 2026
Musk on X said he would appeal the case as the "jury never actually ruled on the merits of the case" and that to "loot charities is incredibly destructive to charitable giving in America."
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
Mr. Vance co-sponsored the bill with then Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown after Norfolk Southern’s destructive derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, in 2023.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026
The first two brought huge and destructive amounts of precipitation to the Golden State.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
He spoke out of love for the girl—a destructive love, but a love, nevertheless.
From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler
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.
