Home / Dictionary / Destroy

Destroy Very Common

Destroy has 5 different meanings across 1 category:

Verb

Definitions
Verb
1

do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of

"The fire destroyed the house"

2

destroy completely; damage irreparably

"You have ruined my car by pouring sugar in the tank!"

"The tears ruined her make-up"

3

defeat soundly and humiliatingly

"The home team demolished the visitors"

4

put (an animal) to death

"The customs agents destroyed the dog that was found to be rabid"

"the sick cat had to be put down"

5

To damage beyond use or repair.

"The storm destroyed the old bridge, leaving it completely unusable."

In plain English: To destroy something means to ruin it so badly that it is broken beyond repair and cannot be used anymore.

"The storm destroyed our small boat, leaving us stranded on the beach."

Usage: Use destroy when an action causes something to be so severely damaged that it cannot be used or repaired again. This word implies total ruin rather than simple harm or temporary setback.

Example Sentences
"The storm destroyed our small boat, leaving us stranded on the beach." verb
"The storm destroyed our porch in just a few minutes." verb
"He accidentally destroyed his favorite shirt while washing it." verb
"The new policy might destroy the company's reputation if not handled carefully." verb
See Also
smash ruin break destroyer destruction demolish wreck waste
Related Terms
smash ruin break destroyer destruction demolish wreck waste ctrl alt delete ravage obliterate pull down cane inexpugnable explode book burning islamocommunism cultbuster throw down blow to kingdom come
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
unmake get the better of kill
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
kill extinguish self-destruct destruct end fracture wipe out interdict demolish disassemble level uproot dilapidate demyelinate burn lay waste to harry break vandalize do a job on subvert get devour rape explode consume shipwreck bust up kick in wash out smash swallow cut to ribbons

Origin

The word "destroy" comes from the Latin verb meaning "to unbuild," formed by combining a prefix for negation with a root that means "to build." It entered English through Middle French, carrying its original sense of tearing something down or ruining it.

Rhyming Words
roy broy troy froy kroy laroy mcroy duroy leroy stroy elroy milroy kilroy gilroy delroy ellroy conroy lefroy norroy octroy
Compare
Destroy vs