destructive

[dih-struhk-tiv]

adjective

1. tending to destroy; causing destruction or much damage (often followed by of orto ).

   a very destructive windstorm.

   Synonyms: deleterious, ruinous
   Antonyms: creative

2. tending to overthrow, disprove, or discredit (constructive ).

   destructive criticism.

   Synonyms: negative, adverse, unfavorable
   Antonyms: constructive

destructive

/ dɪˈstrʌktɪv, ˌdiːstrʌkˈtɪvɪtɪ /

adjective

1. causing or tending to cause the destruction (of)

2. 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of destructive¹

First recorded in 1480–90; from Middle French, from Late Latin dēstructīvus, from Latin dēstruct(us) “demolished, torn down” ( destruction ) + -īvus -ive

Example Sentences

The "very destructive core" of the cyclone has moved away from the Northern Territory, but heavy rain and winds will persist Sunday, Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Angus Hines said.

Read more on Barron's

Head, who has opened nine times previously in Test cricket, quickly got into his destructive rhythm, crunching some lovely boundaries including big sixes off Carse and Mark Wood.

Read more on Barron's

Yet, however destructive to his personal life, Matthiessen’s restive, yearning nature animated the best of his fiction.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Patricia Glaser, an attorney representing Schmidt, called the lawsuit “yet another desperate and destructive effort to publish false and defamatory statements to escape accountability from an existing arbitration over a business dispute.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He used the fast-food chain for another useful purpose on Monday as he spoke to franchise owners about rolling back the destructive Obama joint-employer rule.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• calamitous 
• cataclysmic 
• catastrophic 
• damaging 
• deadly 
• detrimental 
• disastrous 
• fatal 
• harmful 
• hurtful 
• lethal 
• pernicious 
• ruinous 
• suicidal 
• toxic