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
Derived Forms
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nondestructivenessnoun
-
overdestructiveadjective
-
interdestructivelyadverb
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nondestructivelyadverb
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semidestructiveadjective
-
undestructivenessnoun
-
destructivelyadverb
-
overdestructivenessnoun
-
destructivitynoun
-
interdestructivenessnoun
-
overdestructivelyadverb
-
nondestructiveadjective
-
undestructivelyadverb
-
interdestructiveadjective
-
undestructiveadjective
-
destructivenessnoun
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.
Amodei has also warned that it is plausible that powerful AI systems, which he expects to exist in the near future, could develop destructive tendencies in unpredictable ways.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
Pratt entered the mayoral race a year after he lost his home in the devastating fires in the city in 2025, which were some of the deadliest and most destructive blazes in the area's history.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
The best horror villains are not only terrifying but complicated, their destructive persona hiding a far more vulnerable being underneath.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026
Leo has denounced the race for AI in the military field, saying that "delegating decisions concerning the life and death of human beings to machines" is a "destructive spiral".
From Barron's • May 25, 2026
It was that destructive single-minded love of his.
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.
