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

Some other destructive fires in recent decades have also been restarts of older fires.

From Los Angeles Times

They are two of the West Coast’s most destructive generators of huge earthquakes: the San Andreas fault in California and the Cascadia subduction zone offshore of California’s North Coast, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.

From Los Angeles Times

After the state faced its most destructive wildfire season on record in 2017, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services published statewide Alert and Warning Guidelines and standardized alert language.

From Los Angeles Times

There is a chance to get to a ceasefire that could lead to the end of the most destructive and bloody war in well over a century of conflict between Arabs and Jews.

From BBC

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told leaders that the world is in “the most destructive arms race in human history” and called on the international community to act against Russia.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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