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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destructivenessnoun
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destructivitynoun
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interdestructivenessnoun
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nondestructivenessnoun
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overdestructivenessnoun
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undestructivenessnoun
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interdestructiveadjective
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nondestructiveadjective
-
overdestructiveadjective
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semidestructiveadjective
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undestructiveadjective
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destructivelyadverb
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interdestructivelyadverb
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nondestructivelyadverb
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overdestructivelyadverb
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undestructivelyadverb
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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stru, struct (make, build)
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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.
Canada is enduring more frequent and destructive wildfires, increased flooding and more frequent episodes of extreme heat.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
Flooding, tornadoes, and destructive winds can threaten areas well inland, making it important for residents beyond coastal evacuation zones to understand their potential exposure.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026
Those early months of 2025 were undeniably terrifying and inordinately destructive, but they were also ridiculous.
From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2026
The most destructive of this week’s fires, the 570-acre Norte fire in San Clemente, was 25% contained as of Sunday morning, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026
He wanted to vault over the fallen trees and run like the wind and leave this shuddering, destructive, unpredictable piece of Earth far behind him.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
