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destroy Definition

de·stroy (di stro̵i′)

transitive verb

  1. to tear down; demolish
  2. to break up or spoil completely; ruin
  3. to bring to total defeat; crush
  4. to put an end to; do away with
  5. to kill
  6. to neutralize the effect of
  7. to make useless

Etymology: ME destroien < OFr destruire < L destruere < de-, down + struere, to build: see structure

intransitive verb

to bring about destruction

destroy Synonyms

destroy

v.

  1. To bring to nothing

    ruin, demolish, exterminate, raze, annihilate, tear down, throw down, plunder, ransack, pillage, eradicate, do away with, overthrow, cause the downfall of, devastate, swallow up, butcher, extirpate, consume, liquidate, break up, dissolve, blot out, cast down, put down, quash, quell, level, abort, stamp out, suppress, squelch, scuttle, undo, ravage, lay waste, spoliate, root up, overturn, annul, impair, damage, ravish, deface, maraud, dilapidate, expunge, efface, sweep over, sweep away, shatter, split up, crush, obliterate, burn to the ground, knock to pieces, break to pieces, destruct, self-destruct, abolish, crash, extinguish, put an end to, desolate, dynamite, put a damper on, wrench apart, tear apart, wreck, dismantle, fell, upset, bomb, stave in, despoil, sack, subvert, mutilate, smash, trample, maim, mar, vitiate, end, counteract, nullify, blast, neutralize, gut, snuff out, erase, sabotage, repeal, pull down, pull to pieces, terminate, conclude, finish, bring to ruin, stop, put a stop to, dissipate, dispel, wipe out, do in*, make away with*, finish off*, make short work of*, total*, scorch*, blitz*, cream*, foul up*, make mincemeat of*, seal the doom of, lay in ruins; see also defeat 2, ravage.

    Antonyms build*, construct*, establish. *

  2. To kill

    murder, slay, slaughter; see kill 1.

destroy implies a tearing down or bringing to an end by wrecking, ruining, killing, eradicating, etc. and is the term of broadest application here to destroy a city, one's influence, etc.; demolish implies such destructive force as to completely smash to pieces and render useless the bombs demolished the factories, she demolished his argument; raze means to level to the ground, either destructively or by systematic wrecking with a salvaging of useful parts; to annihilate is to destroy so completely as to blot out of existence rights that cannot be annihilated

destroy Usage Examples

Object

  • bacterium: These natural sealants are better because they do not destroy the bacteria but often enhance them.
  • planet: A giant robot ship has wandered into the galaxy and is destroying planets in its path, digesting the debris for fuel.
  • enemy: When you destroy an enemy your score will go up.
  • habitat: The first three ate dodo eggs, and the last planted sugar cane and destroyed habitats.
  • everything: But others could adapt and go on to destroy everything in their paths.

Subject

  • fire: October 22 Warwick, Rhode Island: In the early morning hours a fur store's delivery van was destroyed by fire.
  • bombing: The Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals offered emergency supplies of pet food for those whose household stocks were destroyed by bombing.
  • earthquake: The intention is to fund a project which will help to rebuild communities destroyed by the earthquake.
  • tsunami: Given that tens of thousands of houses were destroyed by the tsunami, providing adequate shelter has been a key priority.
  • bomb: It was destroyed by a single bomb in May 1942.

Used with why or when

whatever: All of this was to suggest an implacable force that would destroy whatever was put in front of it.

Present participle complement

invade: Shock and grief led to a reduction in the number and effectiveness of his white blood cells, the ones that destroy invading germs.

Preposition: in

blitz: The St Michael's buildings were destroyed in the blitz of November 1940.

Preposition: by

  • fire: October 22 Warwick, Rhode Island: In the early morning hours a fur store's delivery van was destroyed by fire.
  • bombing: The Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals offered emergency supplies of pet food for those whose household stocks were destroyed by bombing.
  • earthquake: The intention is to fund a project which will help to rebuild communities destroyed by the earthquake.
  • tsunami: Given that tens of thousands of houses were destroyed by the tsunami, providing adequate shelter has been a key priority.
  • bomb: It was destroyed by a single bomb in May 1942.
  • arson: In 1014 the bridge was destroyed by arson, destroyed by a storm in 1091 and then destroyed by fire again in 1136.