destroy
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /dɪˈstɹɔɪ/
rhymes: -ɔɪ
Forms: form: destroys
form: destroying
form: destroyed
form: destroyed
Etymology: From Middle English destroyen, from Old French destruire, Vulgar Latin *destrugō, from Classical Latin dēstruō, from dē- (“un-, de-”) + struō (“I build”).
Senses: examples: text: The earthquake destroyed several apartment complexes.
text: Hooligans destroy unprovoked.
text: Iesus answered, and said vnto them, Destroy this temple, and in three dayes I will raise it vp.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, John 2:19:
text: Repeated use of this type of [water] on plants results in deflocculation[] of the soil. Good quality soil consists of loose aggregates which provide natural aeration and ease of root run. Sodium accumulation in soil destroys this natural flocculation and causes the soil to pack.
ref: 1972 November 5, Joan Lee Faust, “AROUND THE Garden”, in The New York Times:
text: Krav is a martial art of last resort that assumes no quarter and focuses purely on disarming, disabling and, if necessary, destroying your opponent.
ref: 2013, Steven McLaughlin, Clubland UK: On the Door in the Rave Era:
glosses: To damage beyond use or repair; to damage (something) to the point that it effectively ceases to exist.
examples: text: Smoking destroys the natural subtlety of the palate.
glosses: To neutralize, undo a property or condition.
examples: text: Destroying a rabid dog is required by law.
glosses: To put down or euthanize.
examples: text: Her divorce destroyed her; she had a nervous breakdown and was severely depressed for more than a year.
text: Other girls in the foster home are eager to destroy her and get her kicked out of the place. It's a tough situation.
ref: 2005, Kliatt Young Adult Paperback Book Guide:
glosses: To severely disrupt the well-being of (a person); ruin.
examples: text: Remember when Germany destroyed Brazil 7–1 in the World Cup?
text: Growing up, [Kevin] Durant told me, he was a sore loser. That all changed one day when he was 11, after he got destroyed by his father in a game of one on one in the driveway.
ref: 2012 November 11, Sam Anderson, “The Oklahoma City Thunder's Fairy-Tale Rise”, in The New York Times Magazine, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 10 Apr 2023:
glosses: To utterly defeat; to crush.
examples: text: The memory leak happened because we forgot to destroy the temporary lists.
topics: computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
glosses: To remove data.
examples: text: This exercise is going to destroy all parts of your shoulders.
topics: bodybuilding
hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: To exhaust completely and thus recreate or build up.
examples: text: She got destroyed by her lover on the carpet.
glosses: To penetrate sexually in an aggressive way.
examples: text: JAMES CARTER: The man's destroying a classic!
ref: 2001, Jeff Nathanson, Rush Hour 2, New Line Cinema:
glosses: To sing a song extremely poorly.
examples: I could destroy some wings right now.
glosses: To eat food quickly, hungrily or completely.
Synonyms: word: annihilate
word: break
word: demolish
word: kill
word: ruin
word: waste
word: destroy
word: aerosolize
word: atomize
word: benothing
word: bewreck
word: blot out
word: blotto
word: dash
word: decompose
word: desolate
word: devastate
word: diffuse
word: disintegrate
word: disperse
word: dissolve
word: eliminate
word: eradicate
word: erase
word: exterminate
word: extinguish
word: extirpate
word: fuck
word: harry
word: jazz
word: lay waste
word: level
word: liquidate
word: nuke
word: obliterate
word: pull down
word: pulverize
word: race
word: raze
word: ravage
word: remove
word: stamp out
word: total
word: unbreed
word: unexist
word: unmake
word: uproot
word: wipe out
word: wipe off
word: wreck
Derived terms: destroyability
destroyable
destroyal
Destroy Dick December
destroyed jeans
destroyer
destroyer escort
destroying angel
destroyingly
downstroy
redestroy
undestroy
undestroyed
Related terms: destruct
destructible
destruction
destructive